Too Human
by Archdruid-Sephiroth
Summary: The 15th tried to understand us, but only brought more suffering. Now she is one of us, and by experiencing pain for herself struggles to understand us, but can perfect understanding ever be achieved? Shinji x Arael
1. Prologue Arrival

Amidst a golden light, the screams of the Second Child echoed. Her spent weapon was abandoned as she fought hard against a psychic attack that threatened to destroy her mind.

_**Show me your pain… show me your life… show me what it means to be Lilim…**_

She couldn't hear the voice… perhaps she chose not to hear it, and in seeming retaliation, the power of the Fifteenth Angel only intensified.

Arael was desperate to know… she had to know; why did we struggle… why did we fight… why did we resist? Questions plagued her mind… questions that demanded answers. Why was the All-Father subjugated against his will by the children of Lilith? Why did they declare war against them? What were they trying to accomplish?

Her subject however wasn't about to give up the information… Asuka was a fighter at heart, this The Fifteenth sensed in her. The unfathomable being that rested in low orbit was upset and saddened but she did not hate the small creatures of this world. She only struggled to know why… why they chose to suffer rather than submit.

Her four crystalline arms gently adjusted her core, focusing the beam and intensifying her psychic focus on the Second Child. Unlike previous angels, Arael was a living symbol as much as she was an angel. Her core was held outside her body in the gentle grasp of four hands with slender fingers. Arael had no legs, only a lower body that would remind some of a moth or perhaps a butterfly, tapered to a point and of the same living crystal and light the rest of her body consisted of. Her face was featureless save for two oval indentations that served as her eyes, and a spread of five massive wings that stretched out for what seemed like miles in both directions sprouted from her back.

Despite her inhuman body, she appeared graceful and serene. Asuka would undoubtedly disagree as Arael continued her assault on the German girl's mind.

_**Show me your struggles… show me the meaning of strife…**_

Arael was beginning to see the images that haunted the girl… but her mind failed to grasp the meaning behind them. She saw a woman hanging from the ceiling next to a doll hung in a similar fashion. This image sparked a strong emotional response from the girl below.

"Please! Don't rape my mind!"

But Arael had no concept of rape… within the collective of angels, thoughts were not sacred… all was shared. Though each angel retained individuality, there were no secrets within the collective… pain was non-existent until the time of The Second Impact when Adam was taken from them. With no concept of pain prior to that moment, Arael and the other angels did their best to cope with it.

If she had facial features, Arael would be frowning. The Lilim could no more understand angels then a goldfish would have knowledge of astrophysics… unfortunately, Arael realized that the opposite was also true. She could not fathom how the Lilim lived….

As she pondered this she sensed something approaching rapidly, some form of projectile. Annoyed that the Lilim were still trying to sever her connection with Asuka, she threw up her AT Field. It was too late when she realized that the projectile wasn't a bullet or missile… it was Lancea Longini.

A flash of light burst forth from Arael's body as the deadly projectile hit its mark. Her body shattered like glass and its pieces pulled into the central point of impact. But Arael still had a thought left before death would overtake her…

… She would never understand the Lilim… unless she became one….

* * *

**Archdruid Sephiroth Presents**

**A Neon Genesis Evangelion Fanfiction Story**

**Too Human: The Trials of Arael**

**

* * *

I: Arrival**

* * *

Miles away from where Shinji attempted to comfort the second child, a radar station picked up numerous falling objects from orbit. They were falling all over northern Japan in a seemingly random pattern. NERV would soon dispatch individuals to look into this but for the moment; the retrieval of Evangelion Unit 2 was of primary importance.

One of the larger objects fell to the north west of Tokyo-3. To on lookers, it would have appeared to be a comet or meteorite but it was falling too slowly for either object. In a patch of woods, the object punched though the canopy of trees and slammed into the ground at a steep angle, kicking up dirt and dust for hundreds of feet in every direction. As the surface of the object cooled, cracking sounds could be heard.

The object was a chunk of crystal nearly 10 feet long and 4 feet wide. Cracks spider webbed across it as the sharp temperature change caused it to destabilize. With a sound like a massive wall of glass shattering, shards of crystal where thrown in every direction, some sticking into trees, others sticking into the ground for a great distance in every direction. An object rolled out of the crystal shard coming to rest at the bottom of the hill. Five great wings unfurled with a sound that was reminiscent of wind chimes.

While the creature that possessed them looked like Arael, it was doing something that was unlike her… crying out in pain. With no mouth, the sound was psionically created but it was no less painful to hear. Two of her slender arms held up her upper body while the others cradled her damaged core. A great crack appeared in the outer sphere of crystal which seemed to create a fissure that ran deep.

Flopping on her side she reached up tentatively with one free hand to the fissure and gently touched it with the tip of her finger. Her hand instantly pulled away as she let out another psychic cry. The lance had penetrated the outer layer of crystal but not the inner one. It was the only reason she was still alive.

Slowly she began to calm herself, though the pain was intense on levels she never thought she was capable of feeling. As her body calmed itself she realized two very important things; that she was on Earth, and that she was in danger of being found out.

Looking at her poor damaged core, she mentally frowned. This was going to hurt a lot…. She gently placed the core against her chest holding it with all four arms. Then she clenched her eyes shut and pushed it into her body. Being one of the most unique angels had its cost as she now had to internalize her core. In its damaged state, this was going to be excruciatingly painful.

As the core phased into her she desperately tried to stifle another psychic scream, slowly her crystline flesh yielded as the sphere began to enter her body. This would have simply been uncomfortable if it wasn't for the damage. As it passed the halfway mark, she felt the stress against it increase, and the cracks along its surface expand. Now screaming in agony, she pushed forward finally subsuming the core into her body. She curled a bit on her side, unable to lay on her back as her wings were still in the way.

Now that her core was inside, her body began to change. Slowly her wings began to shrink and her lower body began to split into two vertically. The changes made her feel weird and she fought the urge to give up on this path. She knew there was no other way… she had turned her back on the war now, and even if she wanted to go home, she could not.

Her four arms began to fuse into two as her muscle control shifted from the second pair of arms to her newly forming legs. Crystaline skin gave way to pale organic skin and hair began to quickly grow from her head. It was dangerous for her to use this much energy with her core damaged, but she was still in danger of being discovered. Finally after a full minute, she was finished. Slowly she got up to her knees, suddenly feeling quite cold.

She stood no more than five feet tall with long white hair that ended around the small of her back. It wasn't simply "so platinum blonde it was white" but was actually pure white like newly fallen snow. Her body was petite and shapely, an echo of the grace she possessed as an angel.

As the pain subsided leaving only a dull ache in her chest, she perused what little factual information she was able to glean from Asuka. The Lilim apparently wore clothing made from animal skin or grown fibers… normally the latter. She looked at herself and thought she would fit in by wearing a similar dress to one Asuka favorites.

Forcing herself to her feet, she focused her energy around her, covering her nudity with a light blue sundress. She attempted to open her eyes to see if she did it right. Her crimson eyes examined the dress carefully, critiquing her own work. It was simple but beautiful and at least in her opinion it looked good on her. Of course, she didn't know for sure but this was one of many details she would need to sort though as she learned how things worked in this world.

She attempted to take a step forward and her legs collapsed beneath her. Having never had to walk before, she was awkward. She pushed herself back into a kneeling position and blew her hair out of her face. Frustration only visible by means a forehead crease that would have seemed familiar to anyone who had ever seen Rei frustrated before. Determined, she tried again and met with more success.

Arael decided it would be best to take it nice and slow for the time being… after all, she wasn't in any rush. She didn't make it to Tokyo-3 that evening, only getting as far as an outer suburban area. Here, she decided it would be best to start getting used to the way Lilim did things.

Though it was dangerous in her condition, she decided to use her Psychic abilities to scan the minds of those nearby. Passively, she collected information, peeked into the everyday lives of people around her and started teaching herself how the world worked. Though the information would be useful, it still didn't answer her deeper questions and so she would need to move on and find out the answers elsewhere.

Eventually, a new feeling overtook her… fatigue. As she moved back into the wilderness outside of the city, she found a place to bed down for the night. Perhaps the city would yield better results.

**

* * *

Next Day

* * *

**

Although Arael was a bit dirty when she woke up, she didn't mind it too much. She was excited about the prospect of seeing what the city was like. Much of it was deserted unfortunately which left fewer individuals to examine. The few people she saw on the street had worry running though their minds. Most where on their way out of the city it seemed, and it was all because of her brethren. That thought made her sad… none of the people she scanned the minds of knew anything about the war beyond what they had been told. And Arael knew what was told to them was lies.

"_My brothers and sisters have been trying to destroy the human race… but for the actions of a few?"_

The thought actually made her a little sick. All this time, only a handful of people were behind what was done to the All-Father, and her brothers and sisters were all hell-bent on destroying the entire human race because of it. Wasn't that wrong? How could anyone judge an entire race by the actions of a few?

As she continued to move into the most populated area of the city, she picked up on a lot of things, but nothing that brought her closer to her goal. She felt the hate and fear around her and it made her feel horrible.

"_We are the cause of this…."_

She decided it would be best to block it out for now since she wasn't getting anywhere. But when she tried to, she found she couldn't. Perhaps it was her transformation into a human form, or perhaps it was the sheer number of voices that surrounded her broadcasting negative psychic energies that interfered with her ability to use her powers, but whatever the reason, she couldn't tune them out. Worse yet… the number of voices she heard began to increase. Overlaping psychic signals and thought noise assailed her mind from every conceivable angle.

She winched and held her head as she tried desperately to get it under control. A few individuals nearby took notice as she stood on the sidewalk, and their thoughts only intensified the noise.

"Who is that?" "Why is her hair like that?" "What's wrong with her?" "Man… I don't need this right now." "Should I call the police?" "Get this bitch out of here, she's bothering me." "Why are her eyes red?" "Hump… must be a druggy." "She should be at school." "What is wrong with her?" "Someone needs a half-way house."

The overwhelming psychic feedback sent jolts of pain though her head. Realizing the problem was in her immediate vicinity, she ran down street, trying to get distance. At one point the pain caused her to squeeze her eyes shut as she suddenly became light sensitive, but her feet refused to stop moving. At that moment, the door to a shop opened ahead of her… she didn't see it in time.

With a crash the person she slammed into fell back as she did. She hit the concrete hard, the sudden jolt of pain in her back and physical pain to the back of her head caused her to see stars. Stunned she tried to shake it off and suddenly realized the psychic noise had stopped. She opened her eyes as she sat up and saw a boy around her apparent age getting up. He wore dark pants and a white button up with short sleeves. He rubbed the back of his head, checking though his dark hair for any blood.

"S-s-sorry!" Arael blurted out.

"Huh?" the boy replied, clearly quite confused. "Oh! S-sorry! It was probably my fault."

Arael shook her head. "No it was mine. I wasn't watching where I was going." The boy got up as she tried apologizing and dusted himself off before offering the girl a hand.

As she reached up and took it, the physical contact triggered something, and a feeling of calm washed over Arael. Her crimson eyes met his cobalt ones and her heart started beating rapidly.

"_What… what is this? What am I feeling?"_

The boy seemed to look at her strangely. "Are you ok?" he asked.

"I…" Arael couldn't find words. She didn't know what was happening to her. She could feel her skin heating up, and her heart fluttering madly. But none of it made any sense to her. _"What was it about this Lilim that is making me feel this way?"_

She cleared her head a moment to accept his help back to her feet. Her outfit had gotten dirty sleeping in the wilderness and now it was fraying and looked damaged from her fall.

"Well you seem ok now," he said at length. "Sorry about this." The boy collected a small bag he left the story with and began to walk away.

Arael wanted to say something… anything, but… Suddenly the psychic cacophony began to fade back in around her. This confused her as it was gone only a second ago….

"_That boy… what is he?"_

She followed after him picking up the pace so she could get closer. Sure enough the closer she got to him the weaker the noise was until it was gone.

"Hey! Wait!" she called out.

The boy stopped, looking confused. She knew she had to say something… anything… She'd loose his attention again if she didn't. Arael had to find an excuse to stay near this boy…

Just then a new feeling overcame her… hunger. From the information she managed to skim from the minds of those around her, it was a natural part of life as a Lilum… you have to eat to survive. The boy in front of her seemed to sense her need.

"You… you look hungry. Are you sure you're alright?"

Arael sighed. "I wish I were," she whispered. "I don't know where I am or where I should go. I've been traveling south for a while now."

"South?" the boy asked. _"I wonder if she was anywhere near Matsushiro a month ago…"_

Arael picked up that thought that went though the boy's head. She gently grasped that mental thread and pulled… she didn't get much but just enough to know that that was the location her brother Bardiel started his attack from. The city was decimated. She backed out of his mind before he could notice.

"I…" she breathed hard, trying to steady herself. This boy did move fast when he wanted to apparently and she almost had to run to catch up. "I used to live in Matsushiro. Something happened there… I don't know what, but… everything was gone…. No one came to help, so I left the city. I've been on the move ever since."

The boy looked hurt and momentarily she thought she had made a mistake. "I… see," he responded at length. "Then… you're family?"

This she didn't have to lie about. "Most of them are dead…. I don't know where the others are."

"By Kami… I'm sorry," the boy sad… tears welled up in his eyes.

The more Arael thought about the meaningless deaths of her kin, the more it upset her. Watching the boy's eyes begin to water at the thought of her family's fate triggered something within her in a sympathetic response. For the first time since she arrived she felt something leave her eyes which momentarily clouded her vision. She closed her eyes and felt wetness pass over her cheeks. The liquid traced down her face and dripped from her cheek onto her hands. Opening her eyes she looked at them, her sight quickly clouding over as the tears interfered with her ability to see.

"_What's happening to me? Are these tears? Am I… crying?"_

It happened so quickly… her angelic mind was only beginning to incorporate the emotions and thought patterns of the Lilim, and suddenly she was slammed by one overwhelming powerful emotion… sadness. She shuddered as she experienced this terrible force for the first time, her normally logical thought patterns suddenly smashed under this tsunami of misery she felt. Before she realized what had transpired, she threw herself into the arms of this boy she didn't even know.

Arael felt him tense up beneath her grasp, but she didn't care. This action seemed right to her and she really wasn't in control of herself any more. Now openly crying, she clung desperately to him even though she didn't know why she did.

The boy was at a loss… he didn't know this girl from anyone else on the street. She seemed weird to him, with her snow white hair and her crimson eyes… but those eyes reminded him a lot of another he knew. Now suddenly she was clinging to him, a complete stranger, for comfort.

He didn't know what to do, resisting instinct because it seemed wrong somehow. In the end he relented… if she wanted to hit him later for touching her like a certain red-head always did to him, he would take it. His arms moved of their own accord, wrapping around the tiny frame of this unusual girl. She tensed momentarily as if she didn't like what he was doing, and then she suddenly clung harder to him. He could feel her tears soaking into his shirt, as she lamented the loss of her family. Shinji could feel his own heart breaking for her, being familiar with the loss of a family member.

After a few minutes she relaxed a bit but didn't let him go. It was ok though… something felt oddly right about having this girl attached to him.

For Arael's part, she felt a little better but she couldn't explain why she did. Unaccustomed to verbal conversation she struggled with what to say next. As it happened, her savior spoke first.

"Do you have someplace to stay?" Shinji asked, earning a slight shake of her head to indicate a negative response. "You should come with me then." This earned him a slight nod.

Arael didn't feel like talking at the moment as she tried to understand why the deaths of her kin caused her to do that. She didn't have this reaction when the angels were dying before, because as an angel herself she was able to accept that things were the way they were. Now exposed to the gamut of human emotion, her mind couldn't completely deal with it. She was sure she would have done some kind of damage to her own psyche had this boy not been here to comfort her when she broke.

Carefully he switched to holding her by the shoulders and he walked with her though the streets back towards his apartment. "By the way," he said, trying to change the subject, "my name is Ikari Shinji."

Arael froze mentally. Did the Lilim know the true names of the angels? Her mind went over the names of the people in the suburb from last night trying to find one that seemed like it suited her, but she didn't know what would. She had to work fast though, and said the first one that appealed to her. In the end, she randomly chose….

"I'm Kotori Ayame," she said. "If you like… you can me by Ayame."

"Ok," Shinji replied, "but if we are going to be a bit informal with each other, you should call me Shinji then."

She smiled slightly. "A-agreed."

"_How does he do this? How does he affect me so?"_

Arael didn't understand it… something about this boy made her feel good. His mere presence blocks the psychic cacophony of the city, his touch makes her heart do odd things, and his smile makes her feel like she's back in the collective…

…safe and comfortable…

No one else around her had the same effect on her, so it must have been some kind of power he had. But she sensed no psychic power from him. Sure his mental strength was well above average, but something about him was just different on a level she couldn't comprehend.

**

* * *

Elsewhere

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**

The Wheel of Prophecy was an artifact from ancient times. It was found in cave, similar to the one that housed the Dead Sea Scrolls and appeared to be from that time. It was a stone disk about 3 feet across. Engraved into it an ancient script were the names of the fifteen messengers that were to come after The Second Impact.

This artifact resides in the hand of one Keel Lorenz… and it was this man who watched as it changed with the death of each angel in kind. As the messengers were defeated, their names began to glow on the disk itself. It was as if the disk was designed to monitor the spiritual lock over the world that prevented the Red Earth Ceremony from commencing.

It was this fact that had Keel perturbed now. His cybernetic eyes gazed upon the stone surface. There were but two angels left… so why were there three names that remained dark?

Arael's name never began glowing. Although the footage sent to him by Commander Ikari showed that the angel was destroyed, the fact remains that the artifact told a different story. With the video already proven to be genuine, it left Keel with only two possibilities. The first being that the artifact is malfunctioning somehow, but he knew that was impossible. Ancient religious artifacts do not simply stop working like an overheated CPU… which left only one possibility.

"She's not dead," he whispered. Somehow the Angel of Birds avoided her own demise, which didn't bode well for him or the rest of the committee. For SEELE to enact The Red Earth Ceremony, all 15 of the messengers had to be destroyed, otherwise the only ceremony that could take place was the White Earth Ceremony… the one where the angels win and humanity is annihilated.

"This wasn't part of the scenario," he whispered to no one. His plan was now in jeopardy… and he didn't know why.

His chair turned and faced his monitor, which was looping the replay of the Lance of Longinus impacting the angel. It appeared that her physical structure was destroyed in the hit… so her being alive is not possible… yet the Wheel did not lie.

Letting it play, he noticed something odd. It almost looked like part of the central portion of the angel did not get caught up in the vortex created by the lance impacting her core. But he couldn't see what happened next.

He needed the rest of the tape….

Tokyo-3, Later

"I'm home!" Shinji called out as he entered the apartment with his guest. But he knew no one would be home. Misato would be stuck at NERV doing a veritable mountain of paperwork and Asuka would still be in debriefing possibly pertaining to suspension of her piloting. He didn't know how she would react but knew it couldn't possibly be good. As it was, she spent little time at home, running to Hikari's every chance she got.

He was glad of that much… no awkward questions for the moment at least.

Arael/Ayame looked around at the apartment. Though she knew little about the living spaces of the Lilim, she could tell this one was barely in good condition as far as its level of cleanliness and organization. She did get the impression it had more to do with Shinji's Guardian… this Misato Katsuragi he told her a little bit about. The woman was another mystery for the angel to solve.

"Wait here, I'll get you something," he said to her. She nodded her reply and sat on the well used couch.

Arael knew that humanity was in essence the 18th Angel… the myriad and infinite variations and possibilities. But she also knew they had to have some unifying factor between them all. The key to her self imposed mission would be to learn what it was to be a Lilim, though she wasn't a Lilim herself. She was still an Angel, just one in human form.

She heard a beeping sound coming from another room and wondered just what it was. The technology of the Lilim was truly amazing, and in time she would learn it all. Within moments, Shinji came out of the room holding a bowl that was steaming softly. Arael picked out a new scent in the room that suddenly overpowered the plain and homely smell of the apartment. Though she had never eaten before, her senses were none-the-less stirred into life by what he had brought her.

"Sorry its so simple," he apologized. "Left over miso from last night. It should still be good though. If you'd like, there is a recipe for Tori that I've been meaning to try."

"Sounds good," she said. Though she didn't know what Tori was, a brief look at Shinji's surface thoughts told her it was a form of onion soup. Arael took the bowl carefully, noticing parts of it were very warm to the touch, and using the spoon she was given took a sip of the warm soup. Instantly her eyes widened as the subtle spices and flavors of the soup assaulted her taste buds. It was unlike anything she ever experienced before, and she felt an overwhelming urge to chug the entire bowl. But she knew if she did that, she would likely burn her throat and the taste would be gone too quickly. Instead she sipped carefully, taking in every bit of the flavor she could.

Shinji watched her drink the soup, and instantly felt even more sorry for her. She probably hadn't had anything real to eat in a while and yet she still ate slowly and carefully.

"How is it Ayame?" he asked.

"Its very good," she said softly, trying not to sound too surprised or shocked that such sensations were within the grasp of Lilim. "Did you make this?"

Shinji chuckled sheepishly with a hand behind his head. "Y-yeah," he said modestly. "It's a recipe I've been working on since I arrived in Tokyo-3."

Arael though for a moment, realizing this was her chance to learn more about this boy. It took a few seconds to formulate how to go about it. She knew from her skims that random small talk about seemingly inane subjects was all part of their communication, a way to get others to feel comfortable around you, and she was about to try her hand at 'small talk'.

"So you haven't lived her your whole life?"

Shinji blinked a moment. "No… no one has. Um… do you know why this city was built?"

She shook her head no, wondering what she said that was wrong.

"Oh… I guess not everyone knew about it then. This city was built as a fortress against Angel attacks."

"Angels?" She asked innocently. "Aren't Angels good things? Why would you need to fight them?"

"I don't think they're really angels per se," he explained. "I think they are something else entirely. A real angel wouldn't try to destroy us." His voice held a bit of masked resentment in it, and Arael took note of this. "And they wouldn't be like that…." The last part was almost a whisper.

"You sound as if you speak from experience," she noted.

Shinji sighed. "You really aren't from around here. I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you. I'm the designated pilot of Evangelion Unit 01."

"_Evangelion… the false spawn of the All-Father that the Lilim use to fight us…This child is a pilot? How can that be? He's…innocent!"_

"You pilot it?" she said surprised.

"Only children born after The Second Impact can, at least that's what I've been told."

"Goodness," she whispered. "I've heard stories about giant monster battles in Tokyo-3 but I thought they were just stories! I didn't know it was actually happening. Is that why there are so few people here?"

Shinji nodded. "Many left considering the damage done to the city from previous battles. A lot of good people died… and people I care about keep getting hurt."

Shinji didn't know why he was so open with this stranger… something about her was comfortable though, not comfortable in the second mother Misato way or the odd relationship he's had with Rei kind of way. This was completely different… as if their meeting was destined. It was a though that worried Shinji a little. He knew he wasn't in control of his own destiny, but is this good thing or a bad thing? He didn't know. All he could do now was ride the tide and see how things turned out.

"I… I'm sorry," she replied.

"_This war has caused the Lilim much pain and sorrow. Up until today, I didn't know what those feelings were…but now…"_

"Nothing you could do," he replied. "Sometimes… sometimes I wish I never came to this city… sometimes I wish my father never called me here."

Arael raised her head. "Called? He's someone important in your organization?"

Shinji nodded. "My father is Ikari Gendo… Supreme Commander of NERV."

"_That must be one of the people behind the subjugation of the All-Father. This poor child's father is one of the Lilim responsible for starting the war."_

"I see… you couldn't refuse?"

Shinji shook his head no. "I never even considered it when I got his letter. Seeing the power my father wields now though… I know what would have happened had I refused."

Arael shuddered as a mental image popped in her head of gruff looking men armed with killing implements alien to her and all wearing the same clothing. In her mind they were forcing this poor child into a black vehicle of some kind… But then she realized these thoughts were not her own.

"_These are his thoughts… what's happening here?"_

"Are you alright?" Shinji asked her.

Now she knew something was amiss. She gave no outward indication something was wrong and yet, somehow he sensed her mental distress.

"S-sorry," she apologized again. "I'm not feeling like myself I guess."

"Understandable," he replied. "If you wish to rest, I'll let you use my bed. I promise I won't disturb you." _I hope she doesn't think I'm a pervert like Asuka does all the time. I wouldn't do anything like that._

Arael froze. She knew that name… it was the first Lilim she tried to establish a link to, the one she was interfacing with just before the lance damaged her core. She must live here too. She knew she should not overstay her welcome and avoid contact with the girl, but she also knew to try to escape so suddenly would only arouse suspicion… and at this point, she had no real intention of leaving this boy.

"I couldn't impose like that," she replied. She didn't want to seem too easy about it either. Something told her that wouldn't be right.

"It's ok… really."

Arael paused a moment before replying. "Ok." She stood up handing her empty bowl to Shinji.

"Let me show you the room," he said. He placed the bowl on the table for the moment and led Arael into the room.

Arael looked in and saw that unlike some other rooms in this house, this one was just shy of Spartan. It was also quite small.

"Its not much but it is home," he replied on seeing her thoughtful expression as she considered the room.

"Its more than generous," she replied as she walked in.

"I'll leave you too it then. Rest well Ayame…"

"Thank you."

When Shinji closed the shoji door, Arael sighed. Though he was further away now, extended contact seemed to have strengthened the range of his unique talent of shutting out psychic noise. She stripped out of her dress, leaving her in her bare skin and slipped into the covers. The warm sensation of soft cloth around her made her feel comfortable, and the scent of the boy was also enveloping her, intensifying the feeling.

"_Somehow… Shinji and I have become linked on some level… but how? Was it because he was the first Lilim to show me kindness after I became separated from the collective?"_

That was a traumatic experience for her. It was the first part of her pain. The moment the lance pierced her core, she was torn from the Collective. The voices of her remaining siblings, Armisael and Tabris, went completely silent. Angels need their connections to each other in order to balance themselves. Only Tabris, Angel of Free Will, seemed able to spend considerable time away from the collective without suffering any kind of side effects, likely due to his nature. But as Angels were dropping from the collective as they were dying, most of the Angels did seem to become less enthusiastic, though she didn't realize how it had affected them all.

Arael kept her pain buried so far that it wasn't until she arrived on Earth and turned herself into a Lilim that the barriers over her emotions had begun to crumble. Out of instinct and need, her soul latched onto the first kind hearted soul it could find.

At least that's the excuse she was using to describe what was happening to her. While part of it might be true, she knew there had to be more too it then that…

…but what?

These thoughts followed her as she snuggled under the blankets, taking in the softness and warmth against her skin and letting the scent of Shinji permeate her senses as she drifted off into sleep for the first time.

Her dreams were anything but agreeable….

**

* * *

End of Chapter 1

* * *

**

_An angel strays upon my door, so frail and lost within,_

_To weep upon her days of yore, my decadent come in_

_Her strain and tears upon my floor, the sorrow that she brings,_

_Devotion of a life outworn, in decadence come in..._

_-Tristania, Sequel of Decay_

* * *

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Evangelion… I only wish I did… of course if I did I probably wouldn't write fanfiction.

**A/N:** This is a little project to help me get back into my other stories. Most of the stuff I write is action packed and full of 'badassery'. This is meant to be more a subtle story compared to my other works, but it will likely turn out epic anyway 'cause that's just the way I am.

Ideas are forming and it seems as if I work best when I have at least 2-3 active projects going at once… I can't explain it.

It is time I explained something though. While I don't do songfics, you'll notice that almost all my works usually have a few lines, a verse or a refrain from a piece of music after each chapter. This is because music influances my writing just the same. For example, if anyone here has been reading Adrift, the song chosen for that story is "Death Dies Hard" the principle line being "I will deny you, this world belongs to me, you try to fake it but all wounds are there to see". This hints at the who really controls the world and who is really pulling the strings. It also hints that old hurts and traumas will always be there no matter how much you try to push past it.

I leave it to you to discover the hidden meanings behind the songs I've chosen, but feel free to give your own interpretations (if you have any) in your review should you decide to leave them.

Thanks again for reading more of my insane prattle, and see you next chapter. More than likely, it will be either the next chapter of Bloodlust or Adrift.

**A/N 2.0:** This story is dedicated to my fellow Arael lover Neferius. This is both a tribute and an apology for killing her off (though not permanently) in Tempest Aterna.


	2. Perchance To Dream

**A/N:** Starting get a bit dark here, and there were a few nudity references though nothing was really described. Just the same, I played it safe and bumped the rating up to M. Its really hard for me to write in any other rating but.

* * *

**II: Perchance… To Dream**

* * *

_Arael didn't understand how it happened, but she was back in her angelic form again, only this time, she was floating in darkness. A deep grey vortex spun before her, pulling all light there was to be found towards the center. It was like a singularity, the darkest thing in the universe… the point in which time itself seems to slow to a crawl, and nothing can escape the inevitability of final destruction at its very core… beyond the Event Horizon._

_Before her, she saw the darkness pool together forming into what could only be construed as a darker version of her… the core forming into the shape of a great eye the color of blood. Every edge to the crystalline body seemed to drip blood as two of the dark reflection's hands left the unblinking core, in one hand appeared a vision of Adam… in the other a vision of Shinji._

_Her heart began to race. She didn't understand what she was seeing, but knew on some level that the boy who was somehow linking to her psychicly was now in mortal danger, as was the All-Father._

"_You have betrayed your kin Angel of Birds," the dark reflection said in a voice that could only be described as diamond tipped claws across slate. "Now you will pay the price."_

_It was her right hand… thought of by the Lilim as the "Hand of Kami" that held Shinji Ikari… it was her left that held the image of Adam._

"_You will now choose who will return to oblivion… the one who gave you life, or the one who you follow now in your misguided attempted at understanding… now choose!"_

_But Arael couldn't choose…what was this angel she had never seen, this dark sister? She didn't even know how she got here… she just wanted to be back where she was and…_

_Her eyes widened as she realized she just made her choice._

_Before she could react, the left hand of Dark Arael let go of the effigy of Adam. In her horror she saw the effigy stretch as it neared the Event Horizon and was drawn into it at nearly the speed of light._

_As Dark Arael flew backwards away from her, she pushed the child forward into her embrace. Two of Arael's arms instantly took hold of his upper arms._

"_I… I wanted to tell you about me sooner… I…" the words stuck in her metaphysical throat as his face slowly rose up. Upon it was carved the names of her 12 lost siblings, and the names still oozed fresh blood as if he had just done this to himself._

"_I feel… sick," he said in a whisper as black veins erupted across his skin and his eyes turned pure black with no features at all. His mouth opened and she heard him shriek. It was louder than anything she had ever heard before and scared her so badly she froze as the disgusting transformation seemed to transfer to her hands causing them to feel as if they were frozen._

* * *

"NO!" came a scream from Shinji's room. By this time Misato Katsuragi had returned home… sans Asuka… and was getting the story from Shinji. Her head instantly snapped in the direction recognizing the cry as one of distress. To her surprise, Shinji instantly leapt into action tearing open the door to his room and swiftly entered it. By the time she managed to get to the door, he was already holding Ayame.

Arael/Ayame for her part was shaking uncontrollably. The visions still fresh in her mind like a flash burn on her eyes as she cried, clinging desperately to Shinji and praying to Adam that what she saw didn't actually happen. Part of her was afraid to look at Shinji, believing she would see the same desiccated boy she saw in her mind. Her fears began to calm as she felt his hand gently stroking her hair and heard his voice trying to calm her cries.

Realizing she had received some false psychic vision, she broke down, crying hard into his shoulder as she desperately clung to him. Her grip on her blankets releasing as she did so. Misato took note of her state of undress but uncharacteristically said nothing… this wasn't the time.

For several minutes she clung to him, unable to shake the vision completely, trying to come to grips with it… and all too soon she felt fatigue overtake her again and she passed out on him.

Shinji sighed as he leaned forward and gently laid her back on the bed, only then taking note of the fact that she wasn't wearing anything. In a near panic, he quickly covered her again, feeling his face pounding as the blood of embarrassment made its presence visible…

There was a naked girl sleeping in his bed… and Misato saw everything.

He quietly left her bedside and closed the door, sighing a ragged sigh as the door gently tapped shut. Slowly he turned to face Misato, certain that his face was fiery red by now.

"So," she started, "something you want to tell me?"

"I-I… I don't know why she sleeps like that!"

"Relax Shinji-kun," Misato said taking him away from the door before he accidentally woke her up again. "No teasing this time. Besides, by the way you described finding her, its not like she had bedclothes with her. She probably didn't feel comfortable sleeping in that ragged thing on the floor.

Now Shinji was embarrassed for making such a mistake.

"I know you wouldn't take advantage of a poor helpless girl like that."

Shinji nodded. "I wasn't sure what to do Misato-san," he explained. "I had just met her and she seemed so fragile…."

"Its ok," Misato assured him. "You did the right thing. Besides, with Asuka all but moved out of here, it's not like we don't have room for one more for the time being. But we need to find the rest of this girl's family if there are any left."

"I… I don't think she has any family left Misato-san," Shinji replied. "Her family was in Matsushiro."

"Oh Kami-sama," she whispered. "That's terrible… her family must have been killed when 03 was infected… she's lucky to be alive."

Shinji nodded. "I can't really know what she's going though. I lost my mother… but that's not enough to truly relate to her."

"She seems to have clung to you pretty hard," Misato offered, not realizing this was only increasing Shinji's embarrassment. "Sorry Shinji-kun, I don't mean to embarrass you."

"It… It's okay… really. I've never had to take care of someone before."

Misato looked back to the room. "Well… she seems to be some kind of Albino, similar to Rei… I wonder if she has the same condition."

"She really liked the left over miso I gave her yesterday," he offered.

"Ok… for the time being we'll assume she doesn't eat meat. She's likely to be asleep for a few more hours so you go hit the grocer that is still open in town, I'm going to go to a clothing store and find her some actual clothing."

"Ok," Shinji replied and grabbed his ID card. "This shouldn't take long."

Moments later they both left the house.

Arael's mind wasn't quite finished playing with her yet….

* * *

**Elsewhere**

After pulling some strings, Keel managed to get his hands on the original footage of Arael's "demise". Playing the images again, it seemed more and more likely that something had dropped from the center of the angel but it disappeared before it ever left the edge of the destruction vortex. He feed the information into his desktop and linked up with the German MAGI system. Once in, he fed the information into the Supercomputer Triad and waited for it to finish processing. Within minutes, a new image was shown to him. Frame by frame the images showed Keel what really happened.

The lance penetrated the angel: Time Index 0:03:41.76

The lance passed though it, starting the vortex: Time Index 0:03:41.81

Vortex fully formed, piece from center dropped: Time Index 0:03:42.51

Thermal Image – Chunk located still falling beyond the vortex: Time Index: 03:43:06

Keel's eyes widened as he examined the last frame. He fast-forwarded the images to a few second later and set the image to wide angle. Then let it process.

Object still falling: Time Index 0:04:01.51

An unidentified object was detected on radar at that moment, followed by numerous other objects.

The angel had faked its own death?

"Inconceivable," Keel whispered to himself. He sat down at his desk and hit one of the buttons on his panel. Moments later, an image of Gendo Ikari sitting on his desk appeared in his completely black office.

"Yes Chairman?" he said immediately.

"Ikari, are you aware that there is still an angel in Japan?"

Gendo sat there dispassionately, hands folded as he always had. Nothing about his stature, his eyes or even his voice suggested anything at all. It unnerved him how Gendo could always be so damn cool under fire.

"We are aware," he replied without pomp or inflection. "The report was just handed to me two minutes ago."

"Then we should have started this conversation two minutes ago," Keel replied with annoyance in his voice.

"There was no need," he replied evenly. "I already have Section-2 and the Science Division working on locating the living remnants of Arael. It is only a matter of time."

"No screw-ups Ikari," Keel warned. "The angel must be destroyed before we can continue. Now what is the final status of Pilot Sohryu?"

"She is currently suspended pending a full psychiatric evaluation. But I don't need to remind you, that Unit 01 can't be run in its current condition, and Pilot Ayanami will likely be insufficient when Armisael arrives. I may have no choice but to put her back on active duty."

"See that it is not necessary, she has failed too many times," Keel argued.

"I will do what is necessary Chairman to preserve the future. If that means Pilot Sohryu will need to be pawned in order to destroy the Sixteenth, then so be it."

"Fine, but see that it is not necessary in the end."

"Of course."

With that Keel disconnected the system.

"I don't trust him with this…" Keel said aloud as he leaned forward and folded his hands. "I'll send my own team to make sure this is dealt with. No mistakes." He stared at the screen showing the final images of Arael's escape. "The lance must have damaged her at the least… she should be easy to find."

* * *

**Elsewhere**

_Arael looked upon her image in the mirror… her thin figure…her red eyes… her snow white hair. Unclothed as she was, she saw herself as a human. Her right hand touched her stomach just below her naval… it felt cold causing her stomach muscles to contract on reflex._

"_What am I feeling?"_

_Her arms cross over her chest, hiding her modest breasts from her own sight. The moment she did so she watched another hand reach up and touch her shoulder. Ice shot though the arm as her veins became visible as black trails that quickly began covering her from that point. She froze as pain over took her. An image of a dark version of herself stood behind her, darker skin, raven black hair, blood red eyes and a cruel smile adorning its face._

"_Nothing… you are feeling nothing… or perhaps it is the feeling of your own guilt and betrayal."_

_She turned quickly but the dark reflection was already gone. In the corner she saw Shinji crouched down, naked as she was. Without hesitation she went to him._

"_Shinji-kun?" she whispered._

_He raised his head up revealing he had only empty blackened sockets where his eyes once were and black ooze dripped from them down his face like tears._

"_Help… me…" he whispered pathetically._

* * *

A short cry escaped her lungs as she pulled herself out of the visions. Bolting upright she placed a hand over her chest and started breathing hard. Tears fell from her eyes as she tried to shake the visions away.

"Why is this happening to me?" she whispered to no one. Then she sensed it… just beyond the edge of her senses, she could hear the psychic cacophony of the city. Even this far from the epicenter, she was still hearing it.

"Shinji!" she shouted. "Shinji-kun?"

But there was no response, she could almost feel the breath of the dark sister on her neck now, hear her taunts… it had to stop, or she would go insane.

Suddenly the cacophony ceased and Shinji entered the room.

"Ayame?" he said as he entered and went to her bedside. She clung to him again, seemingly not to care about the fact that she was bare from the waist up. Shinji's cheeks flared up in his bashfulness but apparently, she didn't care enough to let go, so he sucked it up and held her back, his hands slipping over the smooth skin of her shoulder blades.

Immediately she stopped crying and simply stayed in his embrace. She didn't know how he did these things to her, but whatever the reason; she knew that in his arms she'd be safe.

"Another nightmare?" _She's getting these a lot… poor girl._

Nightmare… it was a word whose very sound seemed to sum up what she felt every time she closed her eyes. Realizing that this was probably the right word for what was happening to her she nodded.

"It's odd… but somehow I knew you were having one… I hurried home," he said in a low voice.

_He CAN sense my mental distress… some kind of empathic link… what's happening here?_

"I believe you Shinji-kun," she whispered. She wasn't even thinking when she used the suffix at all. To Shinji it was unexpected, but somehow it felt right to him. "I can sense things too."

"Really? That's cool." _What are the odds?_

"Can…" her cheeks darkened as she tried to say the words… why couldn't she just say the words? "Can you… maybe… you know…"

Shinji looked at her uncomprehendingly before it clicked in his head what she desired. He somehow sensed it, and turned a bit red at the thought.

"Just a sec," he said as he let her go, stood up and proceeded to his closet. She looked questioningly when a pair of shorts and a t-shirt were tossed on the bed in front of her.

"I hate to be a prude," he fibbed, "but I don't think I'd be comfortable lying down with you while you're naked." _It's too embarrassing!_

Arael didn't understand why he was opposed to her sleeping in only her skin, but obviously something about the situation was making him uncomfortable. The thought of sleeping next to her while she was naked. With his mind running, she glanced at things that suddenly made her feel a bit uncomfortable… and at the same time… she felt the heat in her own body react to his deepest desires fueling her own.

On some instinctual level, he wished to become one with her.

She wondered if this was because of the Lilim need to continue their own species, or if it was more than just basic instinct doing what comes natural to it. The problem was deep down, she desired the same and she didn't know why. She wasn't really a Lilim by any stretch, so why was she becoming more and more like them every hour that passed? She needed to eat, sleep, and be comforted. She dreamed, but so far she only had nightmares.

_What is he doing to me?_

The warm feelings in her body intensified and her heart began to flutter again. He turned away from her as she carefully got out of bed and put on the shorts and shirt. The fabric would not be as pleasant against her skin as the sheets were, but if this was what he needed to feel more comfortable laying with her, she'd do it. He was her only hope of dispelling the horrible nightmares.

When she was dressed properly, she laid back down causing Shinji to turn and face her. Though the shorts rode high, and the shirt was relatively thin, it was enough to placate Shinji's inherit fears. Taking his own set of night cloths he left the room long enough to change into them, before returning and then taking his place at her side. Though the bed was small, Arael was also small and they both easily fit on Shinji's bed.

"So… feeling any…" he didn't actually get a chance to finish that line. Arael already turned and held onto him with her right arm, all but snuggling into his chest. She was acting on Lilim instincts now, doing what felt right to her.

For poor Shinji this was too much too fast, but he closed his eyes and tried to calm his storm, this also include making sure he didn't embarrass himself.

_Mustn't run away… mustn't run away…_

_He is unusual, even for a Lilim. He has their basic instincts and needs but he's afraid to act on them._

It was a puzzle for Arael… one she couldn't answer… until after Shinji's mind calmed down and he accepted where he was and what he was doing.

_Kami-sama I think I'm falling in love with her…_

_Love? What is love?_ She probed deeper into his thoughts but he seemed to be sensing something was wrong. Arael withdrew immediately. She wasn't finding out this way.

"Ayame?" he whispered.

"Yes Shinji-kun?"

"Do you… you know…" _Like me, love me… please say this isn't a dream._ She sensed his heart rate was increasing and his body was undergoing some stresses they normally did not.

_So that's it then… that feeling I've been getting. He's experiencing it too._

She smiled at him. That deep seeded emotion that Lilim strive to experience was already with her, had been since yesterday when she first met Shinji… this thing the Lilim called "love-at-first-sight". Was it really possible that she had already fallen for one of the Lilim?

"I do," she said softly, her cheeks taking on a slightly redder color. But what did this mean in the long run. She gave up her lofty angelic existence to become more like the Lilim… was she actually becoming one of them?

Right now she didn't care… all she wanted was for her nightmares to stop. No longer looking at him, she curled up into him as if trying to use him as a place to hide from the monsters that assailed her mind and heart. She could feel his body heat, warming the bed more than it already was, and it was comforting…. She was asleep within minutes.

Shinji however couldn't even think of sleep. It was taking every ounce of his willpower to keep certain parts of his body in check… worse yet, he was nervous deep down and was trying desperately not to show it.

"Why did I agree to this," he thought to himself.

But deep inside he knew on some level why he allowed this to happen. His entire life he had been attention starved, no one loved him, he had no self-esteem, no confidence. And after the last angel attack, when he tried to comfort Asuka and failed miserably, he lost any hope of getting truly close to anyone anymore.

Then suddenly, Ayame appeared….

Here was a girl who suffered though a great tragedy, the loss of her family in what amounted to a giant robot attack. She was lost and confused, suffering for near constant nightmares, and alone. She was emotionally scarred and needed him now. And although she was an albino as Misato put it, she was beautiful… like a true angel. He just didn't realize his last assessment was more right then he knew.

"She is different from us," he thought to himself. He found on some levels that this girl was similar to Rei in a few ways and yet in one, they were glaring opposites. Rei had a hard time expressing emotions, it was as if her body didn't know what to do. Ayame on the other hand seemed extremely emotional as if she instead didn't know how to control them.

She needed him… him of all people….

As she slept there, using Shinji as a pillow, he stroked her hair, feeling the soft strands glide over his skin. She made a soft sound… one of contentment, and he knew that somehow his presence dispelled her nightmares.

"Rest well… my angel."

* * *

**Later, North West of Tokyo-3**

Gendo stood upon a rock, seeing the destruction before him. What amounted as a casket made of crystal lay not more than twenty meters from where he was standing… and shards of crystal were sticking out of nearly every available surface within sight.

One of the Section-2 agents approached him. "Commander?"

Gendo jumped down from the stone, careful to avoid the shards of crystal sticking out of the base of the rock below him. The force of the explosion must have been tremendous to have shards of crystal stick into solid rock.

"What is it?" he asked.

"This way sir." The Section-2 Agent led him over to where the ground seemed almost smoothed out. "There are signs of a struggle of some kind here, but only one person was involved."

"I see."

"That's not all," a scientist said as he approached. "I was able to confirm from Doctor Akagi's notes that it was definitely an angel." He pulled a small glass tube from his shirt pocket within which was a thin and small shard of crystal. "According to her research, this is a core fragment."

"Why would it be here?" he wondered aloud. "Unless Arael lives after all."

"Should we put the city on alert?" The agent asked.

"This was nearly 2 days ago," he whispered to himself but loud enough for others to hear. "If it was still trying to start the impact, it would have made its move by now…."

"Sir?"

Gendo roused from his thoughts finally responded. "No. Our quarry has gone to ground. We need to plan a strategy to draw it out."

"I think it may have taken human form somehow."

Gendo raised an eyebrow at that assessment. "Explain."

The agent pointed out the marks in the dirt. "It was in pain, it thrashed a little and I can see where it shrunk down a little in size." He took a step away towards the south east. "It tried to walk and fell here. I can make out the imprint of its knees."

"Based on that, what can you tell us about our quarry?"

The agent kneeled down and pulled a pair of tweezers out of his pocket. "That it took a female form, probably weighs less than 100 lbs..." he lifted a long white hair out of the leaves… "…and she stands out. She has white hair and it's kind of long. Unless she made herself look old, we can expect she's probably got the looks of an adolescent child."

"Excellent work," Gendo replied. "Get your men on this immediately."

"At once."

As he went about his business, Gendo looked around at the site. "Why is it trying to become human?" he asked himself. "If we can capture it alive, who knows what we could learn from it."

* * *

**Elsewhere**

It is seldom that Misato got to shop for any reason, shopping for someone else was a new experience but one she was determined to have fun with. Having to approximate the girls size was difficult but she had seen enough of the girl to know she was very thin… and beautiful in her own way.

"Wow, Shinji found himself a winner I think," she though to herself.

Her phone rang.

"Ugh… busy here," she complained as she retrieved her phone and looked at it. It was Ritsuko. "What does she want?" She quickly opened the phone. "Hello?"

"Hello Misato," Ritsuko said. "How are you today?"

"Fine Rits," she replied. "I didn't expect you to call me."

"Just checking up on a friend, I am allowed to do that right?"

"Of course." Misato began to rifle though a group of sundresses. _I wonder if I'd be better off looking though junior sizes…she's really tiny._

"Still buried in paperwork here. How's Asuka?"

Misato frowned at that. "Still haven't heard much from her. Section-2 tells me that she's still at the Horaki house."

"You don't want her to come home?"

"For what, so she can complain bitterly and torture my ward some more? If she wants to run to that Horaki girl, let her. I can't deal with her right now… I have enough problems as it is."

"Speaking of problems," Ritsuko began, "Section-2 is looking for someone they said was involved in an incident at or near Matsushiro."

Misato froze. "Any ID on this individual yet?"

"No. Only thing we even know about them is that they may be female and may have white hair."

_What does Section-2 want with her?_ On one hand, Misato knew she should report that they had found her and that she was living with them… on the other, something about this didn't sit right. Section-2 was an over glorified goon squad, and if Ritsuko was interested in this, she had plans for the girl. She didn't put it past her 'friend' to have nefarious yet 'scientific' reasons for wanting to get a hold of this girl.

"A girl like that would stick out," she replied quickly. "Do they think she entered Tokyo-3?"

"A possibility… She might be connected to the angels."

_What? That can't be! The Angels are manic killing machines, not humans… but they were different all the time… what if they evolved into us? Compared to us wouldn't we be a de-evolution? Besides… Ayame is too fragile and caring to be an angel… right?_

Misato knew the angels were intelligent though, this could be an act, but it sure as hell seemed real to her. There was only one way to know for sure…

"Seems a tad impossible that a human would choose to side with the angels don't you think?"

"True… but we haven't been able to rule it out yet."

"Well, keep me informed on the search. If there is a human siding with the angels… or worse, perhaps an angel masquerading about as a human…"

"I know… the implications could be disastrous. I'll keep in touch."

"Thanks Rits."

* * *

**Katsuragi Apartment**

A few hours later, Shinji left to finish shopping, satisfied that Ayame was going to be ok, leaving her to her own devices.

Without any fresh clothing yet, she remained in the cloths that Shinji had given her, though she was uncomfortable wearing them. Though it was just a loose t-shirt and shorts, they felt too restrictive. She wore a sundress before because it flowed and left her arms free without constricting her at all (and no underwear because she doesn't even know that panties even exist yet).

The door to the room slid opened again and she saw Misato standing there looking remorseful.

"You must be Misato-san," Ayame said. "I… I'm sorry about earlier…"

Misato tossed a bag of clothing she purchased onto the bed but said nothing.

"Is it true?" she asked.

"Is what true?"

"Are you connected with The Angels?"

Her eyes widened at that. _How could she know?_

The lack of a response along with the sudden look of surprise was all Misato needed to see. She launched herself at Ayame throwing her onto the bed.

"I'll kill you!" Misato growled out as she pulled out her pistol.

"No! Wait! Let me expla…" BANG

Misato stood in shock when the bullet hit an AT-Field that the girl had raised. She was curled into the wall, her hands covering her face... and she could hear her crying again. This is what caused Misato to stop shooting.

"Please…" Ayame whispered between tears, now terrified. "Please… stop…"

"You could have ended me right there… used your AT-Field to crush me to atoms… why didn't you?" Misato lowered her still smoking gun.

"I don't want to hurt anyone…." She whispered. "I just wanted to understand you Lilim… That's all."

"So you are an angel."

Her eyes opened she stopped hiding, looking at Misato with a sad and frightened expression. "I'm less than that…."

Misato looked away. "My… my father was killed by Adam during Second Impact. I still bare the scars from that day… it was almost 16 years ago now."

Arael didn't speak, she simply trembled against the wall on the bed and waited.

"Your kind is trying to end this world… why?"

Arael realized no more shots were coming… at least not yet.

"The All-Father was subjugated by the Lilim… the energy event known as Second Impact was caused by the Lilim when they used Lancea Longini on Adam."

"What?" Misato exclaimed. "We? We did this? We started this war?"

Arael nodded while trying to stop her tears from flowing. "The collective took this as the beginning of the end times for both races, and so the war began. Fifteen years later, we began to arrive here but each of my bothers and sisters were defeated in turn. I came to realize that this war against your race was started because of the misguided actions of a few and yet… my siblings were not content to let that go and desired the destruction of your entire race. It wasn't until I started seeing things from your perspective that I began to understand what really happened."

Misato took it all in; her face betraying nothing.

"I am no longer a true angel," she said. "I gave up that life to become something different… part Lilim… Nephilim."

"When you're done examing us… will you return?" There was only a shadow of contempt in her voice.

"I can't," she replied with tears in her eyes. "I abandoned all that remains of my sibling and chose to take this path now. I can never return to what once was, not truly. Besides… I have someone here now that…" She couldn't finish the sentence…. What was Shinji to her now? She didn't know the words. Angels normally do not feel individual love, but now Arael did… and it confused her.

"So the fact that Shinji is the pilot of the Eva that killed the majority of your kind doesn't detract you from him?"

"I don't care… my siblings were misguided… There are things about Shinji I don't understand… things that attract me to him. I feel safe with him, comfortable… I think the proper word is… loved."

Misato's eyes widened this time. Was love such an alien concept to the angels?

"I wouldn't give that up for anything… I… don't think I could survive without it."

Misato wasn't sure if that was the truth or a bit of an exaggeration, but one thing was certain… Ayame was speaking truthfully… there was no lie in her eyes.

Misato put her gun away. "We'll not speak of this to Shinji," she said at length. "I don't think he would take you being an angel well."

Both of them heard the door open and Shinji ran over to the room.

"Ayame! Are you alright?"

Misato was flabbergasted. Did he hear the gunshot? No he couldn't have…

She clung to her dark haired knight. "I'm ok. Misato and I were talking, that's all."

"I sensed your apprehension."

Misato was surprised to hear that. How could Shinji sense her distress?

"Just another bad dream… not as bad this time."

"I knew I shouldn't have left you alone," he said. "I'm sorry."

She smiled softly at him. "Don't be," she whispered.

Were they forming some kind of bond on a metaphysical level? That seemed impossible but considering Ayame was an angel, anything was possible. But this cute display was not going by un-teased. Misato was nice enough to hold her tongue when Ayame was truly broken… but now…

"So…" Misato began, "you two want some time alone or something?"

"Misato-san!" Shinji yelled back, his cheeks darkening. Misato took note that Ayame's were doing the same.

"And now I have too people I can tease," she announced with satisfaction. "This day is getting better! I think its Yabisu Time!"

Misato didn't know what was going to happen next, only that she had to get used to the fact that this girl was no longer an enemy. The thought occurred to her that Ayame was not her real name, and that she may have had at least some participation in the previous battles, but that was behind her… every soldier deserves a chance to go home and find happiness… besides, she made Shinji happy, and that was something.

It was also likely that if Ayame did participate in the war on some level, as an unfathomable creature, she may not have even realized she was causing true harm. She was likely torturing herself enough now realizing what it means to be human… at least on some level. She had no doubt that the girl had a lot to learn.

As Misato cracked her beer, one scary thought ran through her head… Misato was now protecting a fugitive for all intents and purposes.

_How the hell am I going to keep Section-2 away from her?_

* * *

**End of Chapter 2**

* * *

_An Angel strays upon my door, so frail and lost within,_

_To weep upon her days of yore, my decadent come in_

_Her stain and tears upon my floor, the sorrow that she brings,_

_Devotion of a life outworn, in decadence come in…_

_-Tristania, A Sequel of Decay_

_

* * *

_**A/N:** I own two things; Jack and Shit, and Jack left town.

So things may seem to be moving too fast for some... I expect as much. Just keep in mind that Shinji is desperate for attention at this point and now he has someone who will accept him unconditionally... the fact that she used to be an enemy is still an unknown.

Also keep in mind my chapters tend to be 2-3 of other peoples.

My favorite parts of this to write were Arael's nightmares and Misato's confrontation. The problem with Arael is that any story involving her based on cannon is going to take place at the tail end of the series, leaving writers like myself precious little time in the continuity to create a good story. Hopefully I'm doing ok with this so far. I was impressed on the sheer number of reviews I got on this within 24 hours of posting it. I didn't expect there to be so many Arael x Shinji fans out there! Guess me and Nef aren't the only ones. Speaking of reviews;

**Neferius:** Let me know when you get around to the rewrite, I'm interested to see what you do. Hope you're still enjoying the story.

**Belthasar:** Oh the oddball things I come up with at 2 in the morning.

**The Canadian Empire:** Lots in store for them... gotta wonder though, if this incident will really open the rift between SEELE and NERV to the point of open warfare... Keel might be making a mistake in his impatience.

**Cocytus The Lake of Despair:** Wow, what a name! Glad I am actually doing something unique... with all the writers out there, coming up with a unique idea is hard sometimes.

**Greenfang:** While my attempt is to humanize an angel, its likely Arael is going to have an even harder time than most because of her psychic abilities and the fact that she can't control her emotions... at all.

**Rizaidym:** No kidding! I don't know how many times I had to reword some parts just to make it feel right to me. And I still am unsure about how well it all works.

**Everyone Else:** Thanks for the wonderful reviews, and hope to see you all again soon.

* * *

**Omake (_Because this had to be done_)**

_Arael didn't understand how it happened, but she was back in her angelic form again, only this time, she was floating in darkness. A deep grey vortex spun before her, pulling all light there was to be found towards the center. It was like a singularity, the darkest thing in the universe… the point in which time itself seems to slow to a crawl, and nothing can escape the inevitability of final destruction at its very core… beyond the Event Horizon._

_Before her, she saw the darkness pool together forming into what could only be construed as a darker version of her… the core forming into the shape of a great eye the color of blood. Every edge to the crystalline body seemed to drip blood._

_Dark Arael: "I just divided by zero."_

_Arael: "Oh Shi-"_


	3. Conspiracy

_Deliver me from my enemies, O God;_

_Protect me from those who rise against me._

_Deliver me from evildoers_

_And save me from bloodthirsty men_

_See how they lie in wait for me!_

_Fierce men conspire against me_

_For no offense or sin of mine, O Lord_

_I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me._

_Arise to help me; look on my plight!_

_-Psalm 59_

**III: Conspiracy**

The office of Gendo Ikari, Supreme Commander of NERV was a living testament to the sheer intimidating nature of the man himself. It was cavernous and far larger than any normal office had a right to be, and the Sephirothic System was prominently displayed upon the ceiling for all to see, but few to truly understand… just like the man himself.

He sat upon his chair with his hands folded in their customary way, watching on his monitor the images from the city's security system. The vast majority of the city surveillance was destroyed in the many angel attacks that struck the city, but a few still functioned. As luck would have it, they caught something of interest.

Just outside of the main market district, there was a young girl, maybe 15 years old at the most, with long snow-white hair and red eyes, walking the streets in a ragged blue sundress.

"Arael," he whispered.

The camera quickly lost sight of her. To be sure, he used the computer's link up with the MAGI to do a quick facial recognition scan on the girl. It searched quickly, sifting though the database looking for a match with any living known person on the planet.

It took less than 10 seconds to return the words "No Match Found".

"You took human form after all," he mused. "This is our chance to finally capture a live angel specimen. We have to find her."

**Elsewhere in the City Above**

Shinji sat up in the bed, deep in thought. Next to him, still asleep was the girl who occupied these thoughts.

"Ayame," he whispered. She had arrived the day after Asuka fought the Fifteenth Angel. Ritsuko mentioned that the attack wasn't really an attack at all, but an attempt to contact a human. It was likely that the angel didn't realize it was hurting Asuka. It only wanted to communicate. Equivalently, it was like a human trying to speak with a rat by using a bullhorn at point blank range.

He suspected that Ayame might be an angel herself… perhaps the very same angel that attack Asuka, but she was too kind… too gentle to be an angel compared to his understanding of them… and certainly incapable of harming someone like that. This wasn't what bothered him though… what bothered him was the fact that he wasn't bothered by the fact that she could be an angel… and by proxy, the enemy. This girl showed up one day and since then has latched onto him like a stray kitten, almost seeming to need his presence in order to survive.

And Misato who was apprehensive about her being here when she found out, was suddenly pro-Ayame, even insisting that she stay inside where it was safe. It was all very strange to him, but he couldn't deny his feelings for her. Angel or no, she was HIS angel now, and if there was danger he'd have to do something.

But there was the problem. What could he possibly do to protect her if she was in trouble? He was just a boy, and a meek child at that. His life had ground him down to nothing… there was simply nothing left to give. But he was determined to do whatever he could.

She stirred a bit there, making one of those cute yet fussy sounds again. She wasn't having a nightmare though, he knew it… but he couldn't understand how he knew it. He's been changing ever since her arrival, another indication that she might be an angel. He can sense things he shouldn't be able to sense, simply knew things about Ayame's moods that he shouldn't know without seeing and asking her.

He needed to think, and think hard… and few things in this world allowed him to think better than his music, one the last pieces of his lost mother he still had.

He reached towards his SDAT player and managed to get a finger on it, but it was just out of reach for him to grasp. Rather than get out of bed and risk awakening his angel, he tried again and ended up knocking it off of the table. He tried to grab it on the way down but it was just out of reach.

_No! Don't hit the… what the…?_

Inches from the ground it stopped then flew into his opened hand. The surprise of this almost made him drop it anyway. He looked at the item in his hand and wondered what just happened.

_Did… did I just catch that… with my brain?_

Looking at his hand for a moment, he focused on something else out of reach, a simple pen. Reaching for it he tried to focus on it and make it come to him. Struggle as he did, the pen didn't move. At first he was going to give up, but then he felt a rare streak of determination and tried again.

This time the pen seemed to wiggle a little bit as he reached for it. Emboldened by this small success he tried harder and concentrated until finally the pen was levitating off the table and moving towards him. He found that by focusing more clearly on what he wanted, he could adjust the speed of its movement. After a few moments, it was in his hand.

Unbeknownst to him Arael had woken up and was watching him.

"So… cool," Shinji whispered to himself.

She smiled at him, finding the entire experience fascinating. To her, it was like watching a child with a new toy… once he figured out how it worked he seemed pleased with himself. He placed the pen on the table next to him and looked for something else to try to move. Eventually he saw her looking at him.

"Good morning my little angel," he said softly. Arael knew he meant it in an endearing way, and not as an accusation, and so blushed a bit.

"Morning Shinji-kun, what time is it?"

"Nearly eight," he said. "I've been up since 5:30 or so."

"Couldn't sleep?" she asked.

"No," he said softly. "I've been up thinking about you."

Arael knew that wasn't meant to be flattering judging from his tone.

"I… know you aren't human," he said, trying to judge her response in case she tried to be evasive. "Which means the story you told me wasn't really true."

She sighed as she sat up. "Part of it was," she replied. "I did lose family… but not in Masushiro… outside of it."

"The thirteenth," he replied. "My father almost killed my best friend because of that angel."

Arael looked down at the sheets sadly. Shinji noted the tears in her eyes. She's done a lot of crying lately… one of many things that tipped off that she wasn't what she pretended to be. She had no control over her emotions at all, which surprised him. Angels were supposed to be some kind of superior organisms… so why was something as simple as an emotion getting the better of her?

"So many have already died because of us," she said softly, trying not to ball for the fourth time in as many days. "Lilim and Angel alike… my siblings are nearly gone because they won't listen to reason anymore… they… they just want to perpetuate this insanity to its ultimate conclusion."

"I'm sorry," he said at length. "We've spent this entire war killing each other off and for what? We won't let any Angel destroy the city and start Third Impact. Why does your family want to destroy us so badly?"

"Your people subjugated Adam, the First Angel… what we Angels refer to as the All-Father."

To any normal person, this would have sounded like a fantastic story or fabrication, but simply based on everything Shinji had experienced in the past year…

"I see," he replied. "I suspected something like that."

Arael looked at him surprised. "You did?"

"It seemed too convenient that all of the Angels would attack this small patch of earth when there is a whole world out there they could be striking." Of course… this brought to mind one dark fact. "He's here isn't he? The All-Father is." Shinji used what she called Adam for her benefit.

Arael nodded. "Somewhere… but I'm not trying to start Third Impact anymore. I just want to understand your people and try to make things right… but I can't even get around emotions yet… they are so… alien to me… all consuming and yet, somehow hard to attain."

Shinji smirked. "For a second… you reminded me of one of my fellow pilots."

"Oh?"

"Her name is Ayanami Rei," he replied. "I hope you can meet her sometime, she's got light azure hair, pale skin… and… red…" Shinji froze. Rei had eyes the same color as Ayame's and she just admitted she was an Angel, or at least used to be. Is there a connection? Is Rei some kind of Angel?

"Red eyes?" Arael asked. "But she can't be one of us… I only have two living siblings left and only one is female. She hasn't even arrived yet."

"But that can't be a coincidence can it?"

Arael thought about that, placing the tip of her forefinger on her bottom lip. "I must see her," she said after a moment.

"Not so fast," Shinji replied. "Knowing the truth about you, I can understand why Misato wanted you to stay inside now. She knows doesn't she?"

Arael nodded. "She found out yesterday… that's the reason you sensed my distress."

"Yeah about that," Shinji said. "How am I doing that?"

"We are bonded," she said softly.

"Bonded?" Shinji seemed a bit fearful. He wasn't sure what this would do to him. What kind of bond was it, and how would it affect him in the end? There were too many uncertainties.

"Yes… bonded. I don't know how it happened… perhaps when you comforted me in the city it was forged then, but link by link we are becoming closer though the bond. I don't know how far it will go… being an expert in Psionic Power is all well and good, but even I don't know how far this will progress as its never happened before between a Lilim and one of my kind."

Shinji became nervous at that. "Will… will we be like one person or something?"

"I wish I knew," Arael said as she reached up and gently stroked the side of his face. "I wish I could calm your fears… but I do not have the answers."

His eyes closed for a moment. Her touch was so soft… so soothing… she could be so gentle… and yet he knew she was capable of so much being what she was.

"Ayame," he whispered softly. "There… there is something I must know."

Her eyes lowered. "Yes," she said after a moment. It wasn't a confirmation that she was willing to answer a question… it was the answer itself.

"You… you hurt her badly," he said. There was no malice in his voice; he knew now that the hypothesis was true… she really did hurt her unintentionally. "She'll never forgive you for what you did to her."

Arael put her knees up to her chest. "Had I known then, what I know now… I wouldn't have done that… I'm…" Tears fell freely now as she shook her head. "… I'm so sorry… I wish I could take back what I did… but I know I can't do that."

Shinji put an arm around her, pulling her small frame into his. She curled into him as best she could and let the tears flow. No cries this time… only tears… but she had a lot to atone for now.

"Emotions are really hard on you, huh?" he asked softly. She only nodded.

"How do you Lilim deal with them?" she asked, her voice a tad on the ragged side. "I can't understand it."

Shinji wiped her tears away with his free hand. "We… just do."

"I… must make a pathetic Lilim."

"No," he replied softly. "You're actually more human than most people I know."

"Maybe too human," she replied sourly.

"Nonsense," he corrected. "You are who you are… and I…I'd like to think you are who you were meant to become."

She looked up at him with her crimson eyes. "And what would that be?"

Shinji smiled at her. "My beloved."

Arael didn't understand what happened next. Shinji, running on instinct leaned down to her and kissed her softly. Her confusion caused her to stiffen for a moment before she realized this activity actually felt rather pleasant. Her eyes fluttered closed and she returned the kiss in kind.

There was no fumbling… there was no awkwardness… they were in perfect sync. Shinji's free hand supported her as she moved to a more comfortable position for this activity. As they shifted, Arael laid back, allowing Shinji to move over top of her as her head hit the pillow. There was no touching or heavy petting… none of the perverted stuff Asuka always accused him of… just a tender, loving embrace between two people who had fallen for each other.

Minutes later they finally stopped, Arael looked deep into the cobalt windows of Shinji's soul... and there she found peace at last.

"I… I can't believe I just did that," he whispered. He wanted to get off of her… to let go and run and hide… the teasing and striking from Asuka came back to his mind and yet, he couldn't bring himself to let go. "I'm… I'm sorry I… don't know what came…" he couldn't finish. Arael just smiled as he tried to explain himself and was pulled down into another brief kiss. He didn't expect it but accepted it.

"I like this," she said to him. "What is this called?"

Shinji smiled, realizing she was still so naïve about so many things. "It's called kissing."

"It's pleasant… it makes me feel… I guess the word is, loved."

"What's your name Ayame?" he asked her. "Your true name..."

"Arael," she whispered. "I am Arael, The Angel of Birds."

"Arael." Shinji felt her name as he said it, beautiful and complex despite its relative brevity. "I've been doing many things that have been a bit… out-of-character for myself lately. I think my contact with you is the cause."

"Nothing bad I hope," she replied with concern.

"Actually… I think you're changing me for the better."

She smiled at him again. "Shinji-kun… do you wish to…" before she could finish her question, a single finger pressed over her mouth with just enough force to make her pause. She suddenly realized though their link that he was a tad uncomfortable with the subject she was about to breach.

"Arael please," he whispered with a flush in his face. "We're already moving pretty fast in our relationship with each other. To take that next step… that's way too fast."

She looked at him puzzled. "But isn't it natural for two people who are so close to being joined metaphysically to become one in body as well?"

The way she casually spoke about what amounted to asking him if he wanted to have sex with her hit him like a blacksmith's hammer against an errant bead of metal. She really had no clue at all…

"I guess… but… but we normally can't do that… well some can but their relationships never last. For two people to truly bond like that, it takes time to forge the chain. Do you understand?"

"I think I do," she said. "But honestly Shinji-kun, it is a hard subject for me. Angels are incapable of experiencing individual love… but now that I am a Nephilim, I can… and I am sorry if I embarrassed you with my naivety."

"I-It's ok Ara-chan," he replied. "I understand. I just want to slow things down a bit until I am ready to push forward. I've already gone further than I was prepared for."

"But you're not sorry you did," Arael pointed out.

He blushed slightly. "No… I'm not."

**Elsewhere**

Keel was furious. His intelligence just informed him that Gendo managed to catch the trail of the missing angel over an hour ago… and he has yet to contact him. To make matters worse, his link with NERV's systems showed him what Gendo recently viewed.

"What's his game?" he asked himself as he stared at a still image of the angel… Arael in human form in a tattered blue sundress…

"I bet he's planning on capturing it alive, but to what end? Extortion? Scientific research? Morbid curiostity? What the hell is he thinking? We don't have time for these games. She must be executed at once."

He pressed a button on his control panel. Window on his monitor that displayed the image of the humanized angel minimized instantly, replaced with a box showing a sound graph. The name R Tsugashi displayed with the words "Audio Only".

"Yes sir?" came a voice over the computer. The graph responded in kind.

"Gendo has managed to track the target to Tokyo-3 already. Do you have a fix on her yet?"

"Negative, but we have a lead. Several citizens have stated they saw a 15 year-old girl leave with a male child of approximately the same age. They were heading towards the west side of town. Some of my men are questioning the shopkeepers on this road to see if we can't get an ID on the child. As soon as we know who left with her, we'll know where to find her."

"You have the f-LS ammunition with you correct?"

"Yes sir, however I don't understand why we need such high-tech armor piercing rounds for one child."

"Don't question it Lieutenant, just get the job done!"

There was a pause. "Understood. Tsugashi out."

Keel growled with an almost animalistic tone. "This will not do… this simply will not do." He didn't like being questioned, especially by someone who should know better…

"They better get the job done, or there will be hell to pay."

**That Moment**

Sergeant Kichi looked at his CO with a slight measure of concern. Lieutenant Tsugashi put the com link down and was mumbling under his breath.

"Sir?" he asked.

"I said it doesn't make any goddamn sense!" he replied sounding flustered, though Kichi knew it wasn't at his question. "I have no problems at all putting two in the back of a 15 year-old girls head… but what the fuck do we need exotic ammunition for? Is he trying to make a fucking statement?" He picked up an ammo box containing the special shells, these designed for a Minebea P9 (standard JSSDF service pistol).

"They made pistol shells out of that stuff? I thought it was supposed to be some new armor piercing round. It shouldn't come any smaller than a .50 cal shouldn't it sir?"

"That was my thinking Sergeant… something doesn't add up. You don't send in an elite special ops team from the JSSDF, give them armor piercing ammo designed for a service pistol, and get us into the city under cover of night dressed as civies just to take out some school girl. This is fucked."

"Hey you don't supposed this is some super kid, you know like in Akira? All that fucked up mental shit? Sir?"

"That shit only exists in anime Sergeant… but you have a point. This may be some special operative from a rival nation made to look like a 15 year-old school girl. If that's the case, she's probably wearing armor… and a lot more dangerous than she looks."

"Yes sir. We'll be extra careful on this one sir. But… if I'm right…."

"What Sergeant?"

"If I'm right… then with all due respect, I fucking called it… sir."

**Later**

Arael was feeling a bit better after her nap. Sleeping on top of Shinji kept her nightmares away, so for the first time she felt somewhat refreshed. There was no dark sister to terrorize her thoughts, only Shinji and the comfort he provided to her.

"You look better," Shinji said brightly as she looked to him and smiled.

"I slept better, thank you Shinji-kun."

Shinji was becoming addicted to her smile. To him it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life. If there were any doubts about his feelings for her left… they were gone now. He was in love with her… it was that simple.

"Hungry?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied. Shinji got up immediately and went to get her food. As he did so, she got up and walked over to the bag of clothes that Misato left for her. The clothing was simple but nice in its own way. An array of sundresses, a few pleated skirts, some t-shirts and something she'd never seen before…

… a package of panties and a couple of bras.

Her mind tried to wrap around what these were. She understood shirts and skirts… but she didn't know what she was looking at now. At that moment, Shinji came back into the room.

"Lunch will be a little bit, you'll probably want… to…" he instantly turned red and ducked out of the room. Now Arael was really puzzled.

_Oh kami-sama… why does she torture me like this… I didn't need to see her underwear!_

"Shinji-kun?" she called out.

"Y-yeah?" came back a nervous reply.

"What is… underwear?"

She sensed his nervousness increase and simply skimmed his thoughts.

"Oh…" she blushed. "I see…" She looked at the items again. Arael didn't realize that seeing another person's undergarments was supposed to be embarrassing in some way, and while she didn't understand it at all, Shinji's embarrassment was rubbing off on her. She knew now that apparently these are supposed to be worn under normal clothing to protect them from… well… she didn't dwell, realizing just how sensitive the subject was. Instead she pulled out a pair of panties and unwrapped one of the bras.

"How do you Lilim clean yourselves?" she asked, realizing that she was starting to become somewhat soiled.

"There is a shower in that room over there just down the hall," he replied. "I'll show you how it works."

Hiding her undergarments in her chosen clothing, she stepped out of the room and Shinji showed her the shower. It took only a minute to show her how to use it… unsurprisingly, he left quickly once she understood.

Arael sighed… learning how to live as a Lilim was certainly an uphill battle. She stripped off her borrowed garments and faced herself in the mirror.

"They hide their bodies from each other with these pretty garments because seeing each other naked is embarrassing? But why is it? We angels never needed something so coarse as clothing…. Yet…" She looked at herself closely in the mirror… her smooth pale skin, her modest breasts, topped with pale nipples, taunt stomach…. While she still didn't get why it was so bad, she accepted that this was the way Lilim were raised and thus, it could not be any other way.

But why did she feel embarrassment about the undergarments. It must be her connection to Shinji… she sensed his discomfort and her body reacted accordingly. At least though him, she realized, she could seem to act on the surface like a normal girl… even if her looks were anything but.

This was a point of contention. She stood out… long white hair, red eyes… though she wasn't the only person out there with red eyes… they were a sign… a sign that a person was more than they appeared to be.

She already knew that she would not be able to cut her hair. Her body would take it as a sign of damage and regenerate it. The same went for using hair dye. Misato spoke to her about it… the chemicals in hair dye strip the outer layers of the hair in order to make the color effectively "stick" but this would also be taken by her body as a sign of damage, and it would repair the damage, likely faster than the dye could even dry. If she had to go out in public, she'd need to hide her hair and wear a pair of decent sunglasses like Misato had.

She'd do what she had to do though… she needed to see this Ayanami Rei for herself and find out what the Lilim have done now. Arael knew of no angel by the name Rei, but the red eyes couldn't just be a random accident of birth.

Arael adjusted the temperature of the water to a comfortable level and stepped in. The moment the water cascaded down her slim figure she sighed contently. This felt simply wonderful! For nearly 10 minutes straight she did nothing but let the water run over her body, occasionally turning to let other parts of her body have direct exposure to the cascading water. She realized she couldn't stay here forever though.

As instructed she made sure her hair was mostly damp before grabbing for the shampoo. She wasn't sure how much to use so she went conservatively until she had enough to get a good lather going. It was a lot of work getting the grime out of her hair and off of her scalp, but eventually she got it all. A sigh of relief escaped her as she pulled her fingers though her hair.

Then they stopped moving… she had a tangle. Carefully she added a bit of conditioner that Shinji showed her and ran it through, eventually banishing all the errant rats in her hair. Once it all was loose, she rinsed the conditioner out and started washing her body. The warm water elicited some unusual feelings in her, but she ignored them for the time being.

As she cleaned her skin using Misato's liquid soap, her mind drifted though the white noise of the water. She thought about her time with Shinji, and how he banished her nightmares. She thought about how he made her feel safe from harm and how he made her heart flutter. She got so into what she was thinking about that when the first unusual sound left her lips she froze.

Her right hand was over her apex and she quickly removed it. Though she was innocent, her body had needs… and she realized she unconsciously started playing with herself in the shower in an effort to satisfy those needs. This made her blush despite no one being around to what she was just doing to herself.

_I almost… thinking about him…_

She shook her head and finished rinsing herself off. Angels in the collective did not engage in sexual activities, but the act of mating was hard-wired into the Lilim. As she has become a Nephilim, she has begun to feel these urges. The problem however lay in the fact that she was still unable to fully control her emotions. Maybe there was nothing wrong with Arael having a little "alone time" in the shower, but it felt wrong to her. If she was going to experience something like that, she wanted… no… she needed to be with Shinji.

But he was likely still bashful about the idea of becoming one with her. It didn't matter to her… she would use every last bit of her willpower to wait for him… she needed to be one with him but not while he was unwilling. He would open up to her soon enough… and then they would consummate their relationship… and she would be his for all time…

As far as she was concerned though, she already was his… sex was just a formality, albeit a potentially enjoyable one.

"He'll be ready in due time," she promised herself. Once she fully rinsed herself off, she ended her shower.

It took some time to get properly dry, mostly because her hair was so long. Eventually, she ran out of patience with it and simply wrapped her hair up in a big towel around her head in a way that seemed appropriate, and then finished drying her body.

She took her time unconsciously… the soft towel on her skin was a nice feeling, especially since she still felt a little hot-and-bothered. She kept it under control though, and finished drying herself. After putting the panties on incorrectly once, she laughed at her own foolishness and put them on right. Then she held up the bra and tried to divine its purpose.

Realizing what it did, she was thankful she was as flexable as she was as she put it on. Immediately she wished she didn't.

"This is really uncomfortable," she complained to herself. She shifted it around trying to get it into a more comfortable position, but it just didn't want to do what she was telling it to. Finally, after struggling with it for several minutes, she got it into a more comfortable spot.

"Better… but not by much. Lilim females actually wear these things?"

She put on a pleated skirt and twirled a few times, chuckling about how it swished up. If she wanted to give her Shinji-kun a quick peek at her delicate under things, it would be so easy in this.

"Why did I just think that?"

Teasing him like Misato does certainly wasn't going to get him to see things her way. No, she had to give him time. That's all there was to it.

She put on the T-Shirt, then took it off and put it on the right way, realizing the tag was meant to go in the back. Then she looked at herself in the mirror as she took the towel out of her hair.

As her hair dried, it would start tangling again… she had to something about this. She knew the Lilim had tools for everything so she looked around the bathroom and found a hairbrush. Picking it up, she noted that it had several long red hairs in it.

"Asuka," she whispered… feeling remorseful again at her actions. She knew it was inevitable… that she would eventually come across something of hers. Psychic impressions of the brush laid out a broad spectrum of emotions for her. She sensed times she was angry, times she was happy, and times when she was contemplative… Asuka was a complex and many-layered individual with a personality so potent it actually made Arael light-headed a moment.

"If just getting a psychic impression off of a hairbrush was like this, what would actually meeting her be like?" Somehow, Arael was afraid to find out.

She cleaned out the brush and put it to use, carefully brushing her mane. When she was finally finished she looked at herself in the mirror and smiled.

Now out of the bathroom she found Shinji in his room reading. He looked up from the bed over the top of his book, and she twirled for him, though not enough to flash him.

"You look beautiful Ara-chan," he said softly.

"Thank you, Shinji-kun." She sat on the edge of his bed. "Now how do we hide my hair?"

"Misato showed me a style that we could use to hide it," he replied. "She called it an up-do."

She smiled lightly. "Let's try it."

**NERV**

Gendo sat at his desk looking over reports from Section-2. One of them provided him with exactly what he needed. Needless to say what was on the report was surprising…

He pressed a single button on his computer and listened to the recording.

_Arael: "You must be Misato-san. I… I'm sorry about earlier…"_

_Misato: "Is it true?"_

_A pause_

_Arael: "Is what true?"_

_Misato: "Are you connected with the angels?" There was a pause before the sound of a struggle that lasted a second or two. "I'll kill you!"_

_Arael: "No! Wait! Let me expla…" The report of a gunshot cut off her speech. It sounded like the bullet ricocheted. There was a pause, then Arael's voice came back on sounding scared out of her mind and very low. "Please… please… stop…"_

_Misato: "You could have ended me right there… used your AT-Field to crush me to atoms… why didn't you?"_

Kozo Fuyutsuki stood by his side as he continued to listen to the recording from the Katsuragi apartment.

"She sounds so weak and frail," he commented in a low voice. He knew Gendo had already listened to this several times.

"She is unaccustomed to being human," the Supreme Commander replied. "Like Rei, she isn't very adept at living… she still doesn't understand what it means to be human."

Kozo frowned. "Why?"

Gendo knew exactly what he was referring to. "Perhaps she's curious about us, perhaps she has an alternate plan to get into the Geofront… but I doubt it."

"Why do you say that?" Kozo looked confused at that idea. "She's an angel, she's supposed to be trying to start Third Impact isn't she?"

Gendo didn't say anything at first. The men began to pay more attention to what the recording was saying.

_Arael: "The collective took this as the beginning of the end times for both races, and so the war began. Fifteen years later, we began to arrive here but each of my bothers and sisters were defeated in turn. I came to realize that this war against your race was started because of the misguided actions of a few and yet… my siblings were not content to let that go and desired the destruction of your entire race. It wasn't until I started seeing things from your perspective that I began to understand what really happened."_

Kozo looked shocked. "She told her everything?"

Gendo nodded. "Major Katsuragi is now privy to some of our more coveted secrets. She may need to be liquidated."

"Drastic," Kozo replied. "Why not just bring her into the fold?"

"You know the answer to that better than I. Knowing what we are really planning, do you really think she'd follow along with it? I hired her on because she hates the angels, because she's dedicated her life to avenging her losses upon them. She'd never go for it."

"So what do we do now? Liquidate an important asset because she came in contact with an angel on a level we weren't expecting?"

"I said, she may need to be liquidated, I didn't say it was definitely going to happen."

"Be that as it may… eventually she'll want to know the truth. If she's anything like her father…"

"I know."

Gendo pressed a button. "But there are more important concerns than just that now."

Before Kozo could ask the recording played.

_Arael: "Your people subjugated Adam…"_

"She told him," he observed.

"Yes… her and my son have developed some form of bond that is undoing all of the work I've done to make him ready to break during Third Impact."

"What does this mean for the scenario?"

"It could be disastrous. We must act soon. I know from the recordings that Pilot Ikari has told Arael about Rei. She's taken an interest in her and wants to see her. That's when Section-2 will make their move."

"If this girl still has angelic powers, how will they capture her?"

Gendo smirked. "Doctor Akagi developed a special portable spray version of bakelite. They can use it to capture her so we can study her up close and personal. With any luck, we should be able to determine how to sever her connection to Pilot Ikari."

"But what will that do to him?"

Gendo raised an eyebrow. "Concerned that the damage may be irreparable? He still wants my approval, and he's willing to do whatever it takes to get it. Show him an ounce of kindness and he'll forget about this girl."

"Don't be too certain about that," Kozo cautioned.

"We'll see."

**Downtown**

"Anything?" Lieutenant Tsugashi asked over the radio.

"I got a solid lead," Sergeant Kichi replied. He was in an alley, still in the market district of Tokyo-3. He kept his voice down. "One of the shop keepers here positively identified the boy that the girl left with as one Ikari Shinji."

"Commander Ikari's son," Tsugashi replied. "Damn… this girl has to be some kind of operative. No one outside of the intelligence community knows about that kid and his connection to NERV. Looks like you were wrong, she ain't some psychic super-bitch after all, she's just an operative."

"Don't be so sure," he replied. "Everyone I talked to about the girl said the same thing… they all had odd feelings around her, like she was everywhere and no where at the same time."

"I don't need this superstitious bullshit Sergeant. Now get your ass over to the rendezvous point."

"Yes sir," Kichi replied and disconnected. "This isn't good. Tsugashi doesn't believe me at all… I just know there's something otherworldly about this girl… and when the metaphysical shit hits the metaphysical fan, I don't want to be anywhere near it…."

**End of Chapter 3**

_An Angel strays upon my door, so frail and lost within,_

_To weep upon her days of yore, my decadent come in_

_Her stain and tears upon my floor, the sorrow that she brings,_

_Devotion of a life outworn, in decadence come in…_

_-Tristania, A Sequel of Decay_

**A/N:** If anyone is wondering, yes I have a lemon planned later, however, I needed an opinion and general consensus on something.

Some people don't necessarily like lemons in their romance / drama fics while others are neutral to the idea. Other read these fics specifically for the lemon content. So… here is the question.

What would be better in this case; including the lemon content, or posting it in another story… say a "deleted scenes" story? I just want opinions. PM me if you don't want to answer in a review… and please, please, please tell me your opinions. I don't quite have a handle on my audience for this fic.

And Belthsar, I know what your answer to this would be since I asked a similar question on another fic. Rest assured that if it is ultimately decided that the lemon content will be in the main story, that the chapters that contain it will be clearly marked so it's expected. I saw someone do this in a Final Fantasy VII fanfic and I liked the idea.

**Review Replies**

**The Canadian Empire:** I was actually a bit nervous that that scene would have been written off as a bit far fetched, but it seemed right to me. As far as going to school… maybe in Omake…

**Hokuten Mage:** This story is a real challenge to create. Arael's character is far more complex than any other character I've ever tried to write. Of course, I have only myself to blame. My intention was to make her a bit like Rei but at the same time, almost the direct opposite. From your perspective, it sounds like I failed on some level. *shrugs* It seemed ok to me…

**XiaoSan:** There was no way Arael was hiding that, especially with their bond growing stronger over time. Shinji's already starting to develop psychic and telekinetic abilities because of his link with her… and she knew that meant she wouldn't be able to hide what she was from him. Besides, she wants him to trust her, and even someone as naïve and inexperienced in the social graces as Arael knows that deception is not how you earn trust.

**Nefarius:** Shinji understood that Arael didn't mean to hurt her. He's not happy it happened, but it's not like he could hold that against her since her mindset was completely alien and incomprehensible at that point. Asuka on the other hand… ho boy is that gonna be tough to write…

**Rizaidym:** I have the same problem sometimes…

**Solidjj:** I'll keep that in mind.

**Gunman:** We'll be seeing more from Section-2's leader in the next chapter. He is definitely a few cuts above the rest of the goons.

**deitarion/SSokolow:** I can't tell you how many times I've spelled the name of her beer brand wrong…

Whew! Lots of reviews… So far I think this one has the largest average reviews per chapter compared to any of my other works. I'm glad everyone is enjoying it and I'll try to keep up the same level of quality in future chapters… oh, and try to get them out more often. This one took me a while.


	4. Total Disaster

Kichi sat upon a metal chair before a metal table. The room was bare save for a mirror he knew was two-way. Drab stone walls surrounded him, and no windows showed him the current time of day. How long had he been in here, hours? Days? Everything bleeds together when you're a prisoner deep underground.

Finally the stillness and silence was broken by the sound of a distant metal door closing. He knew his captors were coming to interrogate him. Maybe they were planning on using the good cop / bad cop routine, but who knew? Kichi only knew for certain that they would dredge up the details of what happened, and he would be forced to live the nightmare all over again.

The door opened and three men from Section-2 entered the room; two in suits and one in what appeared to be standard military fatigues. The man in fatigues would have been familiar to anyone who was with Gendo when they found Arael's crash site. It was this man who deduced the nature of Arael's human form and has been tracking her down ever since. But he was more than just another goon, he was the new head of Section-2, Noboro Tashima. Kichi knew of the man's reputation and was not pleased. Section-2 may have been an over glorified goon-squad, but Tashima was a mastermind… skilled, lethal and unforgiving.

"So Sergeant Kichi," he began, "we meet at last."

"On whose authority are you keeping me here?" Kichi demanded. "I'm an operative of the JSSDF and outside of NERV's jurisdiction. I don't have to answer any of your questions. You can contact my CO and…"

Kichi shut up. The look on Tashima's face was enough to freeze his brain. He knew immediately that Tashima was not going to let him go, because NERV was for all intents and purposes, above the law and it looked to him that the man at the head of Section-2 heard it all before.

"If you're quite finished Sergeant, we can begin."

There was almost no inflection in his voice at all, no emotion of any kind. The man was an unfeeling monster. How fitting it was that he worked under Gendo Ikari.

"What do you want from me?"

"The truth," he replied. "We observed certain aspects of the incident from our perspective, but what happen in there really… and how did you survive?"

The events Tashima spoke of played out in his mind. Kichi was sure that he would soon be suffering a case of PTSD if he wasn't already. He shook uncontrollably as he tried to recall the exact details.

"You want the truth? Fine. The truth is what happened in there was a total fucking nightmare…."

**

* * *

IV: Total Disaster

* * *

**

"You know, I'm not sure why Misato has something like this in the hall closet, but I'm glad she did."

Shinji admired his handiwork. With a little inventiveness, and the inclusion of a wide brimmed hat, Arael's hair was virtually invisible. The hat in question was found in the hall closet and closely resembled the hat of one Mana Kirishima, the first girl Shinji thought he was falling in love with. He told himself he wasn't trying to make Arael / Ayame look like her… that would be stupid of him since Mana all but betrayed him.

Arael looked at herself in the mirror. Her outfit was now complete with the inclusion of the hat. A pair of sunglasses would easily hide her eyes, and her hair was only noticeable if you were looking for it, since the up-do that Shinji did for her hid it within the hat itself.

"I'm impressed Shinji-kun!" she said happily. "Not only did you manage to hide my angelic features, but you still managed to make me look super-cute!"

Shinji blushed at that. "Heh, yeah… I guess I did at that."

She twirled again and observed herself in the mirror. In her mind at least, she felt she could pass as a human being which she figured was enough. Her psychic abilities told her that more people had already left the city meaning that fewer individuals would observe her.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Shinji asked.

"I have to know," Arael said softly. "I have to find out who Rei is… something inside me tells me she's important somehow, but I won't know until I see her."

"You think she's like you."

Arael nodded. "There is a possibility… or she's just an albino." Arael turned away from the mirror. "I should be pretty incognito now huh?"

"Well, there isn't anything more we can do," Shinji said. "It'll have to be enough."

"Then let's go, Shinji-kun."

She took him by his arm and he blushed in response. He didn't know why he was still slightly embarrassed by her touch, but it felt good. The more time he spent with her the more he was falling for her.

He reached towards a far away table and his keys flew into his waiting hand. Arael chuckled sweetly.

"You're getting good at that," she said encouragingly.

He sheepishly chuckled as a hand went up behind his head. "Thanks. How am I doing that? Is it because of our bond?"

"I think so," Arael replied. "My angelic powers cover the full gamut of the psionic spectrum including what you Lilim call psychokinesis, or telekinesis. Our bond is growing stronger all the time." Her face fell a little bit.

Shinji noticed immediately. _Is something wrong with her?_

"I'm fine," she replied to his mental thought. "Just a small worry I have." _I'm becoming more dependent on his presence now…_

"Is that such a bad thing?"

Arael almost jumped. "You… you heard my thoughts?"

"_Just as you hear mine. You're correct Ara-chan, our bond is getting stronger. You don't have to worry about anything. I'll never leave you."_

"_Shinji-kun…"_

Arael couldn't help herself. She closed the distance between them and kissed him before he could react. However Shinji didn't resist and fell in sync with her the moment her soft lips touched his.

Indeed, Shinji didn't think it was such a bad thing after all. He was tired of being used by people; Asuka, his father, Mana… even Misato was guilty of it, albeit in a minor way. But he could see inside Arael's mind, feel her thoughts, as she could see and feel his. They were slowly but surely becoming closer than any two individuals on earth would ever become. At first, the thought scared Shinji. But now he was used to the idea, and even embracing it.

He knew the bond would still take a long time to fully strengthen. Mind reading and empathy between them was only the beginning. The sheer power of their metaphysical bond was still incomplete. Shinji knew this not only because Arael knew it, but because he was beginning to understand psychic ideals and thought patterns that would be alien to those beyond its scope. But there was still so much more to learn. Compared to Arael, he was still little more than a talented novice.

When Shinji parted from his kiss, he was momentarily light headed. The emotion behind Arael was intoxicating and their connection to each other made every touch like this seem stronger somehow.

"Shall we?" he asked.

Arael nodded and the two left the apartment without further delay.

**

* * *

Nearby

* * *

**

Tsugashi had himself perched up on a nearby rooftop overlooking the apartment, and he wasn't pleased at all. The Third Child of NERV had himself firmly attached to the target. He knew this because he listened in on the bugs NERV themselves had planted in the apartment complex. This was going to make his job harder since there was an important figure now in the mix.

"Target has left the apartment," Kichi's voice came over the com-link.

"Track them," he commanded. "Viper-1 do you have a shot?"

Tsugashi watched as the two children exited the building. The target was disguised but he already knew what to look for. He grunted in disapproval again as the girl was firmly attached to her boyfriend, hanging on his arm and staying close. He observed that their foot steps were perfect mirrors of each other, which was unusual to say the least.

"Negative, no shot."

"Viper-2?"

"Negative. Risk of collateral damage is too high."

"Damnit," he said as he removed the binoculars from his eyes.

At that moment, Arael stiffened up.

Shinji stopped. "What's wrong?"

Arael threw her senses out but was unable to pinpoint anything of note. She had the oddest feeling she was being watched by many eyes, but her psychic senses couldn't pin down any of the sources.

"We're being watched?" he asked.

Arael nodded. "I can't sense their minds. They must be very well disciplined or have some kind of protection from my sight. We should hurry on."

Shinji nodded, and they continued.

On top of the roof Tsugashi watched that exchange but couldn't hear the words. He could have tried to read lips but the girl's hat was almost constantly in the way.

"Did she see us?"

"I don't think so," Kichi replied over the link. "But if this is some kind of uber-bitch, she was probably trying to sense out our locations."

"I thought I told you to cut that shit out Sergeant," Tsugashi reprimanded.

"Sorry sir, but I just have a bad feeling about this."

Tsugashi ignored the comment. It was just some operative getting twitchy. _She's hanging on to her man for protection because she knows we're out here. _At least that's what he kept telling himself.

**

* * *

Downtown, nearly an hour later

* * *

**

Noboro Tashima, the current reigning head of Section-2 stood upon the roof across from the apartment of Rei Ayanami. He watched as a girl in a cute outfit and a ridiculous hat approached the complex with the Third Child.

"Commander Ikari was right," he whispered. Not that he was surprised by this. Ikari was able to guess just as much about the angel has he did. Ever since Tashima pinned down the most pertinent details of the crash site, Gendo kept Tashima closely in the loop as to what they knew. He told him that it was likely that Arael would seek out Rei and he concurred with the Commander's assumption. Now seeing it with his own eyes, he was actually kind of surprised.

He guessed her bodily statistics correctly. She was a slight girl from what he was seeing, very thin yet she had enough shape to her to be considered attractive. What he could see of her face suggested beauty, and he imagined if she had eyes like Rei's she'd look exotic. It was no real wonder to him that Shinji would have fallen for such an usual beauty. Unfortunately, that beauty represented everything NERV stood against.

Knowing what little he did about AT Fields, he knew that unless his men could get the drop on a psychicly active angel, the Bakelite dispensers attached to their MP5's wouldn't do a lick of good. Fortunately, Doctor Akagi had the perfect solution to that problem. Each of his men, and himself included, wore a special transmitter on their collars. This transmitter was set to a specific frequency, the same frequency that Arael's Golden Beam was measured at during her initial attack. There was a high probability that this would render his team invisible to the psychic probes of the angel and allow him to get the drop on her. But they'd have to spray her fast, since as soon as she realized she was under attack, she would try to get her AT Field active.

In short, this had to go perfectly by the numbers or it would fail hard.

"We may have a problem," one of his men said after removing his hand from his earpiece.

Tashima was the only one not wearing a suit. His preferred uniform was special ops style military fatigues, all black with dark traces of urban camouflage on the pants themselves.

"Explain," he ordered.

"There is a JSSDF team on site. They approached from the back of the complex and are getting into strike position."

"JSSDF? The hell are they doing here?" _Unless they're on orders from the so-called "Old Men"._

Tashima knew nothing about them but managed to overhear the Commander and Sub-Commander talking about them in hushed tones. He had a feeling they were the hidden benefactors behind NERV, and thusly NERV was in some way at their mercy. However his loyalty was to Gendo, not to some hidden hand, and he would be damned if he'd let them blow his operation.

"Keep an eye on them, tell all units to hold position and await orders."

"Yes sir."

"This could turn into a Charlie Foxtrot real quick."

**

* * *

Nearby

* * *

**

Shinji lightly knocked on the door of Rei's apartment. He had butterflies in his stomach despite the fact that he's come here before. He even cleaned her apartment on more than one occasion, but this time he knew it would be different.

Arael suspected she was not entirely human, and Shinji was beginning to wonder, and on some levels worry, that this was true. What could it mean?

Sensing his discomfort, Arael squeezed his hand gently to reassure him. She was nervous too, but her unease was caused mostly by her bond with Shinji. This could be a startling revelation for him, and one that could disturb him greatly if it is indeed true.

Moments later, Rei's door opened, and for the first time, Arael felt true shock.

_Lilith…_

She sensed it immediately upon seeing her. The girl was an artificial being, created from an unknown Lilim and an angel, but she was not derived from Adam. She was a Nephilim alright, but she never expected her other half would be from Adam's wife.

"Pilot Ikari," Rei greeted. "I wasn't expecting you today. Who is your friend?"

Shinji figured discretion was the better part of valor and decide to use the name she chose for herself.

"This is Ayame," he answered. "We just wanted to come by for a visit. I thought maybe the two of you would find something in common with each other."

Because Rei's angelic side wasn't fully awakened, she didn't notice it at first. But then, it hit her like a runaway truck. This girl was just like her somehow. Rei knew she was a construct for all intents and purposes, so seeing another one puzzled her. She was not a clone of herself, she was different on so many levels.

"May we come in?" Arael asked.

Rei nodded and stepped away from the door allowing the companions to enter her sanctum.

"So," Shinji started as he walked in, "I see you've tried to keep the place clean."

Rei nodded. "I find a clean apartment to be more agreeable."

"Cleanliness is Godliness isn't it?" Ayame noted.

"You would know better than I," Rei deadpanned. It wasn't an aggressive statement, but it let Ayame know immediately that Rei also knew something was different about her.

"You sense it don't you?" she asked.

Rei nodded. Shinji for his part stayed silent as the two girls considered each other.

"You are not what I expected," Ayame noted.

"May I ask what you were expecting?"

"I expected you to be more like me," she replied. "Shinji, what we are going to discuss may seem alien to you. I hope it won't frighten you too much."

Shinji took a deep breath. "I can handle it."

Rei looked in his direction. "Pilot Ikari should not be privy to this," she deadpanned. "He was not cleared to know these things."

"What is my father hiding Rei?" Shinji asked immediately. Arael could feel his fear spiking and put a hand on his shoulder to try to comfort him.

"I should not speak of it."

"He's planning to do it himself isn't he?" Ayame stated. Rei's face actually took an annoyed turn but it quickly faded and she sighed in defeat. Ayame was going to push the point whether or not she wanted to.

**

* * *

Outside

* * *

**

Tashima looked to the man behind him who was trying to listen in on the bugs in the apartment.

"What's the problem?" he asked.

"We're blind," the man replied. "Every surveillance device in the building just overloaded."

"What? How?"

"Probably her," he replied. "The JSSDF are moving into the building but none of them are carrying WNGs. It has to be the angel."

"Seems silly that the JSSDF would send a unit in without White Noise Generators to counter or surveillance equipment, unless…" Tashima thought about why they would even send in a team in the first place. "They don't want to take her alive… they're there to execute her."

**

* * *

Inside

* * *

**

Rei sat on her bed, defeated.

"What is my father planning Rei?" Shinji asked again.

Rei looked up at Shinji. "He wants to resurrect Ikari Yui."

"Mom? But how? How can he do it?"

"Remember Leliel? Remember what you told me of that experience?"

Shinji remembered… and when he put two-and-two together, the reality of it horrified him.

"Oh…. Oh God!" Tears began to fill his eyes. "Mom's soul really is in that monster I'm forced to pilot!"

Ayame pulled Shinji into an embrace as Shinji started to cry. The realization of it all was too much… he started putting together more pieces of the puzzle, why Rei was so familiar to him and why she looked so much like a younger version of his mother.

"My soul was derived from Lilith, the Second Angel," she continued. "I am part of the Commander's plan to restore Yui to life."

"You were cloned from her," Shinji noted in between tears.

"I was."

"But… I still don't understand…"

"The Red Earth Ceremony," Ayame deadpanned.

Shinji stopped crying and looked at her. "What… what is that?"

Ayame sat down with Shinji on Rei's bed as Rei got up for them. "If any angel manages to make contact with Adam, it would begin the White Earth Ceremony… what you would know as Third Impact. But there is a flipside. It is possible for humans to control Third Impact to their own ends though The Red Earth Ceremony. Essentially, instead of Adam's soul combining with one of his children, Adam and Lilith would be reunited though a medium."

"W-what would happen then?"

Rei took over from there. "All the souls of humanity would be released, the AT-Fields that separate us all would desolve and we would join together in Human Instrumentality. The hidden hands behind NERV plan to use this to create a new God and to bring us all to a state of perfection."

"By killing everyone?" Shinji half shouted.

"Essentially. Commander Ikari plans to take control of the Red Earth Ceremony so he can bring Yui back and become a god himself."

"Then… then everything we've been doing all this time…"

"It was all a part of The Commander's Senario… I'm the medium he will use to control Third Impact… but the Red Earth Ceremony can only be enacted once the last messenger has been destroyed."

"So as long as I am alive, no one can enact Third Impact," Ayame stated.

For the first time in history, Rei was shocked. She suspected there was something different about Ayame, that she was a Nephilim herself, but she never expected this.

"You are the Sixteenth?" Rei asked.

"Fifteenth actually," Ayame replied. "I am Arael, the Angel of Birds."

"Impossible, I terminated the Fifteenth days ago."

Ayame smiled slightly at that. It wasn't a sadistic smile, it was an amused one.

"No you didn't, you only grazed my core… I was able to survive by becoming Nephilim."

"But why are you here?" Rei questioned. "Why are you not attacking the Geofront in an effort to trigger Third Impact?"

"Because I do not wish to commit mass genocide of a species because of the actions of a few," she replied. "I wanted to understand the Lilim, not destroy them. I never really wanted to destroy them in the first place!"

"Is that why you tried to join with Pilot Sohryu?"

Arael looked down. "Yes… I didn't know I was hurting her, I just wanted to understand…."

It was Shinji's turn to comfort her. Arael still felt terrible about what she had done to Asuka.

"I understand," Rei said.

"You do?" Arael was surprised by this. She expected a Nephilim created from Lilith to be antagonistic. Instead, Rei seemed far more objective.

"Yes. You and I are the same in many ways and at the same time, we are mirrors in the sense that our roles are reversed. I am a Nephilim that was taught to ignore my human side, while you are one that is trying to embrace it. Perhaps we can learn something from each other."

"I'd… like that," she replied.

A moment later… all hell broke loose. The windows shattered men pushed their way in, Rei's door came off of its hinges and Arael cursed her inability to see this coming. Guns were raised but the men were quickly thrown back by waves of telekinetic force. Kichi ducked just outside the window as one of the men that went in was thrown out violently. He hit the grass outside and rolled but was alive. Kichi held on to his repel rope, and found it difficult to try to enter the apartment. The windowsill was out of reach.

"Get away!" Arael screamed as Rei dropped to the floor to protect herself. Shinji was in shock at the sudden attack and dropped to the floor, letting Arael handle it. "I don't want to hurt any of you! Just leave us alone!"

Tsugashi spun around the corner from outside the apartment in time to see Arael turn her attention towards him and his men there. He fired twice from his pistol, and Arael threw up her AT-Field in response.

Time seemed to slow down for her as the saw the deadly projectiles approach, they hit the edge of her AT-Field and passed though it as if it were no obstacle. She felt a profound feeling of De`Ja Vu as she suddenly realized she sensed Longinus energy from the bullets themselves, and it was too late for her to dodge them.

A cry of pain tore from her lungs as the first bullet penetrated her skin between the 1st and second ribs on her left side. The trajectory of the shot caused it to tear though the flesh into one of her lungs and out the other side, a stream of blue blood followed it. The follow up shot went though her left shoulder, shattering her shoulder blade on the way out. Her left arm was suddenly useless, but the metal didn't remain in her body. She dropped to her knees moaning in pain.

"Arael!" Shinji shouted upon seeing this. The normally meek boy saw red. The constant pressure of being under his father's control, his abandonment and his time spent within EVA 01 combined together… and snapped his self control like a twig. He stood up and screamed at the men, "Bastards!"

In his adrenaline fueled rage magnified his meager psychic powers. Men where thrown back from him like rag dolls, even Tsugashi was thrown back though he managed to stay in the apartment.

"Fuck this kid," he said and fired. The bullet struck home, piecing just above Shinji's heart. A burst of red blood sprayed Arael as she was busy regenerating her wounds. Her eyes opened as she watched Shinji fall.

"No…" she whispered, feeling his life energy quickly dissipating. It was a mortal wound… he would die within moments…

…_no…_

…_he can't be…_

…

…_you…you… MONSTERS!_

Tsugashi, seeing the target was still alive took aim but he didn't pull the trigger in time.

That moment, Arael screamed in rage and despair, and her voice was amplified. Using her anguish as a weapon, her psychic scream tore across the apartment. The men instantly dropped their weapons and grabbed her heads, screaming in agony as the energy felt like it was tearing their brains apart. Golden light blasted in every direction around Arael and it took all of Rei's mental discipline to push the sound and the psychic wave from her mind and keep her safe from the effects.

With groans of pain, the men began to bleed from their mouths, their noses and even their eyes and ears. As the pain reached a crescendo the screams of the men became horrid cries as their bodies twitched like they were being electrocuted. One by one their heads exploded from the psychic pressure spraying blood, grey matter and fragments of bone everywhere. Headless bodies fell around the apartment, Tsugashi being the last to fully feel the effects. A cry of agony escaped his lungs before he too fell to the psychic power of the Fifteenth. A wet thud sounded his last breath as his now headless body fell to the apartment floor.

Arael didn't want to kill, but now she couldn't help herself. Kichi, who was still hanging for dear life outside the building grabbed his head in pain but he was spared a direct blast as the golden light did not reach him. The pain merely induced a migraine and wasn't lethal. Somehow, he knew those inside were not so lucky.

When the last of them died, Arael scrambled to Shinji's body. It was getting cold, and his thoughts were getting distant… his mind was shutting down.

"No! Please Shinji-kun don't die!" tears flowed from her eyes as she held the body against hers. "Please, I can't do this alone! I can't live without you!"

But her cries were to no avail… Shinji had already stopped breathing and his mind was fading away…

As Arael cried, she realized what she had to do and she also realized what it could mean. The only way to save him was to take his mortality from him. She slipped her hand under his shirt in the front as she shifted his weight to one arm.

"No Shinji-kun… I won't let you go… I love you! I need you!" As her hand slid over his chest it found his heart. With a glow of white energy her hand appeared to become crystalline like her old form and phase into his body.

"Please…" she whispered as she closed her eyes and bowed her head in concentration. "Come back to me…"

A flash of energy within Shinji caused him to jolt back into consciousness briefly. The hole in his chest swiftly closed as angelic regeneration took over his metabolism. His eyes opened and they were angel red. The shock of the sudden energy rush put him into a state of unconsciousness, but he was alive… Arael could feel his mind again. As his eyes closed they returned to their normal cobalt blue.

She held his unconscious form against her body breathing out a ragged breath.

_I did it! I saved him!_

For a few minutes, nothing else existed in her world. She held Shinji against her as if afraid that letting him go would be the end of him. She cried softly in a mixture of sadness, pain and relief. She came so close to losing him that she could almost feel the singularity from her dreams reaching out to take her within itself. In her heart, she knew what that black hole truly represented… nothingness… absolute nothingness.

When she finally recovered and realized he was no longer in danger of death, she looked around and she saw what she had done. A part of her was sad that it came to this. She really didn't want anyone to die because of her, but she was beginning to realize the awful truth of it.

_This is just the beginning… they won't stop until they succeed in killing me._

Her enemies were powerful indeed if they could create bullets with the power of the lance. They would come for her without pity or mercy, with only the desire to end her so they can move on with their twisted plans. In that moment of terror, she felt the presence of that monster that was part of her nightmares… She could almost feel the breath of her dark opposite on her neck… imagine the twisted one behind her snickering… her black eyes alight with amusement, her horrible visage twisted into an evil sneer.

_**And where is home for us now… now that all of our bridges are ash?**_

Arael threw the thought from her mind, forcing it away from the dark aspect of her soul. She knew there would be other men coming for her, and she had to escape them. She checked on Rei, and made sure she was alive, then without another word she scooped up Shinji and headed for the door.

At that moment, Sergeant Kichi had finallyl managed to pull himself into the window. He watched as the carefully pinned hat on Arael's head flew off, releasing her flowing hair in all its glory. In the sunlight of the front side balcony, it shimmered and Kichi was momentarily entranced. Five sets of white wings tore though the back of her shirt and stretched to their full glory as the angel alarm system activated in response to her energy.

"My… god…" he whispered as the wings rose up and thrust down, lifting Arael into the air in a flash. Kichi ran for the balcony, nearly slipping on blood and gore as he did so, and watched as the Angel of Birds flew away, towards the setting sun. He collapsed on his knees and thanked God he survived such a close encounter. Around him, Section-2 agents approached with weapons poised and ready to fire, but it was obvious to them that Kichi wasn't going anywhere.

Tashima watched as their quarry escaped, knowing that if he had ordered his men in to deal with Arael, they would not have survived. He could see the results of the JSSDF strike on the apartment and the aftermath was anything but pretty.

"I… called it," he heard Kichi whisper. "I warned him…."

_Perceptive…_

**

* * *

Later

* * *

**

Rei stood before Gendo in his office. She finished recanting her experience to Commander Ikari, and like the good little girl she was she hid nothing.

"Is that everything you discussed?" he asked.

"Yes sir," she replied in her usual deadpan. "Arael knew almost all of it before she ever confronted me."

"But now the Third knows it too," Gendo added. This was not part of the scenario. Everything he had worked towards was now in jeopardy. How the hell was he going to fix this? He was half tempted to kill Rei then and there if for no other reason then to make himself feel better… but as it stood, he still needed her. He couldn't risk a soul jump this close to the arrival of Armisael. With Shinji kidnapped, he needed her fully ready. A simple memory download into a clone wouldn't be sufficient at this stage especially since the Dummy Plug System only had one successful run.

"You may go," he said in his own brand of deadpan and returned to his desk. Rei bowed and left the room.

Upon entering the main hall she headed for her temporary accommodations in the Geofront. Though she knew her purpose was in jeopardy, she couldn't find herself able to care now.

_Commander Ikari is determined to see the scenario through… but now I can not help but doubt him. Arael… is like me…she is a kindred spirit, though I can not explain why I feel this way. Do I continue to do as I have always done now that I know this?_

* * *

"After that, your men found me." Kichi was visibly shaken as he finished the story. "She was… beautiful… beyond words. A heavenly being of such terrible power… God, I'm lucky to be alive."

"That you are," Tashima agreed.

"It doesn't matter though."

"Why do you say that?"

Kichi locked eyes with him. "Because I know you're going to kill me now. I know far too much for my own good."

"Smart man… but I'm not going to kill you."

Kichi looked surprised for a moment, but then thought he'd say someone else would. He never expected what came out of his mouth next.

"I could use a man with your experience and skills in Section-2. If you agree to join us, and keep your mouth shut about the events topside, I won't have you executed. Do we have an agreement?"

Kichi thought about it for all of two seconds.

"Yes sir," he said without further hesitation.

"Good." He turned to one of his agents. "Get him a uniform, get him cleaned up and make sure he has accommodations in the Geofront." He turned back to Kichi. "I'll see you noon tomorrow in my office. We'll work out the remaining details then."

"Thank you sir," he said.

**

* * *

125 Miles Northwest of Guanyuan China

* * *

**

Shinji was sleeping peacefully. He lay upon the ground near Arael who was sitting next to him with her knees up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Her wings were no longer out and the damage to her shirt was still visible. Both it and her bra were ruined but she could get herself to conjure new clothing, she had a lot to think about. Her hair framed her face as she stared into the east, the last bits of daylight were already gone, and the rumble of distant thunder echoed across the chasm below.

"What do I do now?" she asked no one.

Another tear left her eye as she pondered the answer to that. They couldn't go back to Japan, not without having their lives threatened yet again… but Armisael would be coming soon. She needed to be stopped, or else Shinji would end up dead anyway, likely her as well.

"Now where can I go?"

She heard footsteps nearby and a voice humming. _They couldn't have found me already!_

She stood up, holding her hands in a defensive position as the footsteps came closer. Whoever it was, they were just around the corner now. But the sense she was receiving was familiar.

"Who's there?" she called out.

"My, my," a young man's voice returned. "You've put yourself in quite a fix haven't you?"

She watched as a young man came form around the corner. To anyone else, the boy would have looked mostly normal with the obvious exception of his white hair and crimson eyes. Arael of course knew better, but she also knew he was not here to hurt her.

As his smiling face became clear, she realized she may just have friends in high places after all.

"Tabris… you're early."

**

* * *

End of Chapter 4

* * *

**

_An Angel strays upon my door, so frail and lost within,_

_To weep upon her days of yore, my decadent come in_

_Her stain and tears upon my floor, the sorrow that she brings,_

_Devotion of a life outworn, in decadence come in…_

_-Tristania, A Sequel of Decay_

**

* * *

A/N:** It's been decided that when we do come to the point where there will be a lemon scene, that I'll be posting a second version of the story with the lemon content added while this one will be lemon free. I've decided this is going to be the best way to deal with it for two reasons; it gives people a choice, and it allows me to track the number of readers I have that are actually interested in lemon content so I don't have to ask these questions anymore.

If any of you read Bloodlust, there will not be two versions of that one… Bloodlust is intended to be dark, sometimes smutty and often gory. Deal with it.

**

* * *

Review Responses

* * *

**

**deitarion/SSokolow: **As always, I value your opinion. Though I already sent a response via PM, you'll note that I basically decided a different method was better. This way everyone wins. Of course this means I'll have two different stats to look at but meh…

**gunman:** I actually assumed that the majority wouldn't know who he was, especially with NERV constantly denying the leaked footage as being genuine. NERV usually does a good job at keeping secret shit secret. As for your question; Arael is a fugitive now, but she fully intends to stop Armisael… as far as how Tabris fits into all of this, you'll have to see for yourself next chapter.

**Belthasar:** Yeah, Tashima figured out the flaw in Gendo's plan real quick. He's not stupid, and after seeing what Arael can do now, he's certainly not going to try anything like that in the future unless he's got a big old opening.

**XiaoSan:** While it is tempting to say "because I said so", that obviously is not a good way to be. To answer your question Nephilim in this universe are basically composite entities, they have the aspects and characteristics of both Lilim and Angels. Their hair is part of them and its not truly dead tissue as you would assume. Their hair doesn't actually grow and neither do their nails, but breakages are considered damage by the Nephilim biology because the hair and nail are by proxy, part of the angelic tissues that make up the Nephilim.

**Vandenbz:** Shinji got his first chance to use them in defense of Arael, but as you can see, it didn't go well. As one would imagine, his powers are not very well developed and his control is still not good enough for combat applications. Of course near-death experiences are a good way to awaken latent power.

**Neferius:** I never feel rushed to get anything out, I simply write when the inspiration strikes me, usually a few chapters at a time, then I seem to need to get away, then when I'm ready, read it over again, make corrections and add new chapters. It's apparently how I roll.

**The Twilit Road to Nightfall:** I thought about doing it that way… but I thought it'd look sloppy so I didn't go with it. It was a good idea though. Sorry if things seem rushed but honestly, I'm not sure if this is going to be as long as Tempest was, so its not like I have time to dally.

**anon:** Define tasteful…

**SolidJJ: **Well that was more lime then lemon. I'm not going to keep lime out of the primary story, but the true lemon scenes (the real hot stuff as it were) will be in the second copy with a proper label. See the A/N above the review responses for my reasoning.

**Everyone Else:** Thank you so much for the hits and reviews you've given me. This story is already lined up to be more successful than Tempest Aterna. I might just do more like this one then when I'm done.


	5. Acts of Betrayal, Part I

**A/N:** Shit is about to get real. Not surprisingly, its time for a multi-part chapter

_Destroy, O Lord, __and__ divide their tongues,  
For I have seen violence and strife in the city.  
Day and night they go around it on its walls;  
Iniquity and trouble __are__ also in the midst of it.  
Destruction __is__ in its midst;  
Oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets._

_For __it is__ not an enemy __who__ reproaches me;  
Then I could bear __it.__  
Nor __is it__ one __who__ hates me who has exalted __himself__ against me;  
Then I could hide from him.  
But __it was__ you, a man my equal,  
My companion and my acquaintance.  
We took sweet counsel together,  
__And__walked to the house of God in the throng._

Let death seize them;  
Let them go down alive into hell,  
For wickedness

_is__ in their dwellings __and__ among them._

_-Psalm 55_

* * *

**V: Acts of Betrayal, Part 1**

* * *

"Tabris… you're early."

"Not so sister," Tabris responded. "I've been here since the beginning, in this very form." He approached Shinji whom was still lying unconscious on the stone. "So… this is the Third Child of NERV."

"That is his designation yes," Arael replied. "Shinji Ikari is his name."

"He was wounded badly," Tabris said sadly. "It is amazing how the Lilim in their infinite wisdom and mercy can still be so cruel to each other."

"I saved him… but yes… the Lilim are capable of both love and hate… just as we are."

"So similar… and yet, worlds apart." Tabris stood up and faced Arael. "Why did you abandon us?"

Arael sighed as turned towards the east, the damage to her clothing still plainly visible. "I wanted to learn about them. I was curious as to why they continued to resist against all odds."

"I too have my curiosities concerning them," Tabris agreed. "However, this changes nothing. They subjugated the All-Father, and their fate is already decided."

Arael knew what that meant. "They don't disserve death Tabris," she said. "Only a few of the Lilim were responsible for what happened to the All-Father. You can't honestly agree with the decree."

"It is not my place to make these decisions Arael, you know that."

"But are you not the Angel of Free Will?" she cried. "Certainly you have your own judgment to consider!"

"I do," Tabris said sadly. "And my will is to support the decision of Adam. I may have the power to determine my own destiny, but I have a duty to my brethren, and my own honor to uphold."

"Where is the honor in mass genocide?"

"Service is its own reward." Tabris sighed. "You never understood that, being the youngest of us… and I fear that you never will."

"This is wrong," Arael whispered. "So very, very wrong!" As her tears flowed free again, a sharp pain overtook her chest. She had expended a lot more energy as of late than she had since before her fall from grace. Her core was still damaged and it was finally catching up with her. With a cry of pain she clutched at her chest and dropped to her knees.

"Arael!" Tabris was at her side in an instant. "You're injured."

She tried to catch her breath and it took her a few moments to do so.

"The Lilim used the Lancea Longini on me when I attacked," she whispered. "I managed to survive, but my core was damaged."

"Lancea Longini? You should be dead!" Tabris pulled her shirt down from her shoulders as it was no longer attached in the back. He placed a hand over her heart… in reality her core… and began to concentrate. He used his energy to help repair the damage and instantly, she was beginning to feel better.

"This wound has been holding you back," he explained. "You can return to the collective… you _should_ return to the collective."

"You know I can't do that," she replied. "I have my own honor to uphold… I threw my lot in with the Lilim, I won't abandon them."

"I know," he replied sadly.

She looked at him confused. "Then we are enemies… why are you helping me?"

"Because, we are still siblings… the Lilim have a saying, 'Blood is thicker than water'."

Arael thought about that as her core was begin mended. "And if by doing this we are forced to fight each other in the future and I defeat you, what then? Will you regret your decision to help me?"

"No," he said. "If I do die because of something you have done, then it was meant to be. Who am I to argue against fate?"

"Thank you," Arael whispered. Once the damage was repaired, Arael repaired her clothing with a thought."

Tabris smiled at her gently. "I could never hate you my sister. We angels have existed since the dawn of time. It may be that perhaps it is time for the reign of man to enter a new age… though I'd hate to think that such an age sounds our death knell."

Arael's face took a sad turn. "You could step away from the war, settle down as Nephilim like me."

Tabris smiled and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry sister. As nice as it sounds, I can not betray the collective in good conscience. Now, I must leave before I am missed."

"Missed?" She questioned. "Missed by whom?"

"It doesn't matter," he said at length and looked in Shinji's direction. His eyes took a dark turn as he looked past the skin and flesh and saw the machinations working beneath. "Arael… what have you done to him?"

"I saved his life, the shot he took was a mortal wound."

"You physically merged with him?" He looked shocked at her words. "Do you realize what you've done? He'll become a Nephilim now. You took his humanity from him."

"Tabris, I can't live without him."

Tabris looked sadly upon his sister. "You've joined with him, haven't you?"

Arael wandered over towards the cliff face. "I… I don't know how it happened, brother. I was wandering in the city, feeling out the voices around me when I suddenly couldn't control my power. I tried to block the voices but… so many, overlapping… it was a cacophony I couldn't stand. Then I ran into Shinji-kun, literally. All at once the voices stopped."

"I see now why you have thrown your lot in with the Lilim," Tabris surmised. "It wasn't as simple as making a choice though I don't doubt your sincerity about that. He brought order to your chaos. In that moment, you and him began to share a part of each other's souls. There are no coincidences my sister, this was destined."

"Truly?" she aksed.

"Indeed." Tabris sat upon a rock and thought about this. "You were meant to be here with him, just as surely as I was meant to find you now."

"But what does that mean?" she asked.

"I only wish I knew," he replied as he stood back up. "Goodbye, sister. I fear the next time we meet, it would not be under such amiable terms." With those final words, he faded away.

Arael sighed once he was gone. Of all the people she hoped would be on her side, she felt Tabris would be. He wasn't. It seemed as if he wasn't totally against her either, though it was obvious he did not approve of the path she chose.

"There are no coincidences," she whispered, a repetition of what her brother told her. If she was forced to fight Tabris in the future, she didn't rate her chances well. While Arael was powerful with her psychic abilities, Tabris was far stronger in terms of sheer angelic power, and in the knowledge needed to wield it effectively. With her core repaired, she now had full access to her angelic powers again, without restraint, but there was one worry on Arael's mind at that moment.

"Will it be enough?"

* * *

**NERV**

* * *

"How many were in the assault group?"

The question was posed by Supreme Commander Gendo Ikari. In his office, he stood near the window. This was uncustomary for him, but Tashima wouldn't know that as he barely ever sees the commander. Standing to his right, he had hands folded behind his back, in a position those in the military know as 'Parade Rest'.

"Nine total members, including Kichi and Hakaru who were the only survivors. Hakaru only survived because he was thrown from the window during Arael's initial resistance and ended up out of range of whatever it was Arael did that killed those men. We believe that Kichi survived because he was out of direct line-of-sight to the target."

"I see," Gendo replied. "Her powers even as a Nephilim are extraordinary. This will make capturing her more difficult."

"But not impossible," Tashima replied. "Doctor Akagi is developing a system based on the technology the JSSDF operatives were using to mask their presence from Arael. She's putting together the final report as we speak and it should be ready in a few hours. The short version is she believes she can use this technology to keep her powers in check and keep her under control after capture. It's now only a matter of capturing her."

"Which will not be easy," Gendo conceded. "However we now have a weakness to exploit."

"Sir?"

"The Third Child," Gendo elaborated. "Rei told me the two are apparently quite close now. I have no doubt based on the conversation that Arael will now try to stop the remaining Angels from starting Third Impact… which will inevitably lead her and The Third Child back to Tokyo-3."

"A regular clash of the titans huh?" Tashima mused. "That is something I must see."

"You will. Now, let's discuss something more imminently important. How did the JSSDF get into the city in the first place without your knowledge?"

Tashima didn't consider the fact that they were there a failure on his part, but he knew Gendo would want an explanation. Fortunately, he had one ready.

"The JSSDF had intimate knowledge of our security procedures. There were in just the right places at just the right times. My research leads me to believe they were in the city for at least a day or two before they made their move."

"And how do you believe they came upon this information."

It was time for Tashima to tip his hand. "The 'Old Men' told them."

Gendo raised an eyebrow at those words. "What do you know of the old men? I've never discussed them with you before."

Tashima grinned slightly. "Not all of your secret conversations are completely secret. I overheard you and Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki talking about them and decided to dig a little on my own. I've discovered some interesting facts about the so-called 'Old Men'. The Human Instrumentality Committee? I know it's a front now, a front for a secret organization that is really pulling the strings called… SEELE. Am I getting close?"

Gendo turned towards Tashima. "Perhaps too close for your own safety… but this proves you are far more resourceful than I anticipated."

Tashima turned his head towards Gendo. "My only desire, sir, is to continue to be an asset to NERV. It doesn't matter to me who's funding us, my loyalty is to you alone."

"Good to hear," Gendo replied. "We need to plug these security leaks. What would you suggest?"

"It's likely that SEELE is listening in on everything that happens here at NERV via the MAGI. That being said, perhaps we should have Doctor Akagai and Lieutenant Ibuki work on algorithms that will make SEELE believe they are still gathering intelligence feeds from us but are instead being fed false information. Then change our security protocols in such a way that they appear to be normal on the surface but have changed so fundamentally that if SEELE tries to get another team inside the city, they'll be monitored at all times and removed when they become a legitimate threat."

"And how would you remove such a threat?"

"Nine-millimeter pension, sir."

"I like the way you think," Gendo agreed. "Do you have a base plan on how to enact these changes?"

"The algorithms already exist in Akagi's research, she only needs to script the code and implement it. As for the security changes, I already have a full plan of action."

"Very well, I'll inform Doctor Akagi she will need to begin work on the MAGI. Once this is done, you have my permission to implement the changes."

"Understood. This invasion will never happen again."

* * *

**Next Day**

* * *

To say that Shinji was disoriented when he awoke was an understatement. He knew he had been shot and he knew he was a dead man, but to wake up on a mountain instead of in heaven or hell was unexpected. He sat up a little and felt his girlfriend at his side almost instantly.

"You're awake!" she said happily. "I was worried."

"Arael?" he questioned as his sight wasn't fully sharpened yet. "I'm, not dead?"

"No, you're ok now. I saved your life."

"Thank you," he replied with a gentle smile. "Where are we?"

"China," she replied. "Somewhere inland. With everything that happened, I knew we couldn't stay in Tokyo-3."

"Do… do you know who those men were that came for you?"

Arael's face hardened. "Evil men who work for even more evil men. "

"These hidden hands Rei spoke of, the ones behind the Instrumentality Committee."

Arael nodded. "I can guarantee that they are the ones who sent them. They were there to kill me, and they almost succeeded."

Shinji put a hand on her shoulder. "I, kind of went nuts back there. How did I do that? It took a lot of effort just to move a pen and my SDAT with my mind, and yet I was throwing men around like toys."

"Adrenaline has a way with people," she replied. "During times of heightened stress, the mind as well as the body strengthens to compensate. Your 'fight or flight' reflex kicked in and the rest is history."

Shinji looked down at the mention of his reflex. "My usual answer to stress like that was to run. I, guess I understood what I needed to do and did it."

Arael smiled. "You don't give yourself enough credit. Your father may have ground you down, but he didn't crush you completely. You're beginning to find your strength." Her face took a much more serious turn. "But there is something I have to tell you."

"What is it?"

"It is no longer just our bond you have to worry about. When you were wounded, I had to take some drastic steps to keep you alive."

Shinji looked fearful at that. "How drastic?"

"I infused you with part of my essence briefly. Your body however, didn't give it all back."

"You mean," Shinji looked at his hands, "you mean I'm going to become like you?"

Arael nodded. "There is a high probability of that happening now."

Shinji seemed to retract into his mind for a moment. "You know… that might have scared me before. Admittedly, it still makes me nervous. But I can't say I'm truly scared of the prospect anymore."

"Why?"

"Because it means I'm going to become more like you." He smiled softly. "That's not such a bad thing."

"Shinji-kun," she whispered. She was overjoyed at the prospect that he wasn't upset with her for what she did. Arael all but threw herself on him and hugged him tightly. For his part, he wrapped his arms around her and held her in kind.

It was at that moment he felt it. Her heart suddenly began beating rapidly and sudden fear and nervousness came over her. At that same moment, he felt a presence on the edge of his consciousness. At first he wasn't sure what it was, but then he understood her fear as the name came crystal clear though their mental bond.

"_Armisael"_

"_The angel of the womb", _he thought back. With their link growing he was beginning to understand more about the angels themselves now, including their titles and what they were capable of.

"She is coming," Arael said aloud. "We must return to Tokyo-3. I know it will be dangerous for both of us, but without you and me, she will be unstoppable."

Shinji nodded. "I'm ready."

Arael stood up, holding Shinji in her arms.

"Hold onto me, this is going to be a rough flight." As she said this, the back of her outfit faded, opening a space that was large enough to allow her five sets of wings to unfurl and stretch to their full, glorious length. Shinji was awestruck by the sight of the feathers seeming to glisten in the light as if they were made of pure crystal, now she truly was an angel. He did as he was asked and held on.

With a single powerful wing beat, Arael and her passenger were airborne and flying dead east as fast as she could carry them. Though her AT Field protected them from the sudden shift in speed, rocks and debris fell from the mountain as she was beyond supersonic before she ever left it.

* * *

**Outside Tokyo-3**

* * *

A golden, double-helix of light rotated lazily over the countryside seeming to take no direct actions. The fact that it wasn't doing anything yet was what had Doctor Akagi both curious and fearful. She had to stop her modifications to the MAGI when the AT Field was detected.

"Anything?" she asked the bridge crew.

"It's odd Sempai," Maya replied. "It has an AT Field alright, but the readings are weird. I can't really explain it."

Ritsuko look towards the command bridge and awaited Gendo's orders. Suddenly another alert sounded.

"Now what?"

"Second AT Field detected entering Japanese space!" Makoto yelled. "Pattern Blue/White this time."

"Arael," Gendo replied too low to for the bridge to here. Fuyutsuki turned towards him. "She's right on time."

"Are you sure it's her?" he asked him.

"Absolutely," he replied then hit the button to talk to the bridge. "Deploy 00, have her monitor the angel but do not engage."

Misato nodded. "EVA launch!" she commanded.

Moments later Rei hit the surface and moved towards the target location. She watched as this newest angel continued to float in place.

"Rei, be careful," Misato ordered. "We don't know what this angel can do yet."

"Understood," she replied. She knew Asuka was on standby in 02 but she also realized that the chance that she would be able to even get her EVA to move was negligible. With Shinji still missing, if something did happen, she would be on her own. The thought was not encouraging.

"What am I feeling?" she asked herself. "Is this fear? Why do I feel it now?"

Perhaps she was beginning to realize that Gendo's scenario was flawed. It could have been that she began to realize that he was using her for his own purposes and that he really didn't care about her. She knew she could be replaced but would she even be herself when that happened? The fear began to well up in her as she gripped the controls tighter. Her body shook ever so slightly. _"It's all a lie isn't it? Everything I was meant for was a selfish desire that isn't to help mankind…"_

"Rei? Are you ok?" Misato asked over the com. "Your sync ration is fluctuating and your heart rate is increasing, what's wrong?"

She didn't get a chance to answer the question as the double helix suddenly broke apart into a single long white strand and lashed at her at seemingly impossible speeds. She didn't even have time to dodge as the tip of the strand buried itself into her EVA's core. The pain made her arch backwards as the feeling of invasion rippled though her body. From her lower abdominal area her veins began to puff out, visible though her plugsuit as they reached up her body. She gasped in pain as her blood seemed to turn to ice in her veins and the cascade of vascular expansion reached her face and head.

She was dragged into a pseudo reality inside her mind by the angel at that moment. Standing in an endless sea of LCL, she watched as a duplicate of herself arose out of the liquid.

"Who are you?" Rei asked.

"I am Rei," it replied.

"That is not correct. I am Rei."

"And we are becoming one. Does this make you sad?"

"I do not wish to become one with you. I am I."

"That is too bad, it is happening anyway." As these words left the duplicate's lips the veins suddenly erupted in her body again, this time in the pseudo reality.

"I will resist." Rei said resolutely.

"You can not stop the inevitable."

Outside, EVA 00 fell to the floor as its core seemed to explode with corrupted flesh, a long stalk of flesh rose out of the center reaching over a hundred feet into the air forming into a many eyed face that seemed to be made up of several of the past angels.

"What's happening?" Gendo demanded.

"The angel has invaded Unit 00," Makoto replied. "It's taking over her body and corrupting it from the inside out."

"Rei! Can you hear me?" Gendo called though the communicator.

Rei snapped out of the trance for a moment though she ignored the radio. Wetness hit her legs and it wasn't LCL. The liquid trailed from her eyes.

"What is this?" she asked in a shaky voice. "Are these… tears? Am I crying?"

"Rei!"

"Launch EVA 02!" Misato demanded. Asuka rocketed to the surface in seconds. When it hit the top Asuka tried to get her EVA to move, but it simply refused to go.

"Asuka! Get to the target area now! What are you waiting for?"

Makoto told her a moment later. "Asuka's Sync ratio is 12%. Her EVA won't respond to her!"

"Verdammnit! Move!" Asuka cried, desperately trying to get her EVA to do something. But it wouldn't do it.

"It's no use, it won't respond," Maya reported.

"Damn it!" Misato shouted. "Recall her, she's a sitting duck up there."

As EVA 02 started its slow decent back to the Geofront, Asuka sobbed, pulling her knees into her chest.

"Why?" she cried. "Why can't I do anything right? Why can't I fight anymore?"

At that moment there was a flash on the bridge. Arael appeared unfurling her wings revealing Shinji.

"What the hell?" Ritsuko yelped in surprise.

"Ayame?" Misato asked. "What are you doing?"

"I'll explain later," she replied. "We can still save Rei but I need Shinji's help to do it."

Shinji for his part was already running for his EVA.

"I want to stop her before she can try to start Third Impact," she replied.

Ritsuko was shocked to see a humanoid angel on the bridge, so shocked in fact that she couldn't speak, unsure of what was happening or what to do.

"Go," Misato said. "Shinji will be up very shortly. Thank you."

She nodded and blinked out of existence again in a flash of light.

"Rei!" Misato called out into the com. "Help is on the way, hold on!"

In the observation booth, Gendo smiled slightly from behind his folded hands. Things were transpiring precisely how he knew they would.

* * *

**Shortly**

* * *

EVA 01 hit the surface like a rocket. Took its pallet rifle and dodged as the tendril tried to lash at him. It succeeded in destroying the rifle, so Shinji rolled out of the way.

At that moment Ayami appeared in mid air near the battle. Pulling her wings in she glowed brightly and in a flash became a smaller version of her original form. Her clothing shredded apart as she changed, disintegrating in the presence of her aura.

"_**Arael! What are you doing?" **_the Voice of Armisael called out.

"_**Stopping you,"**_ she called back. _**"Our kind has caused the Lilim enough suffering. The ones who are behind this atrocity will be made to pay for their sins, but the Lilim will be spared."**_

"_**Impossible,"**_ Armsiael retorted. _**"The All-Father has decreed their end, and so it will be done."**_

"_**Then you leave me no choice."**_

Spreading her wings, EVA 00 and Armisael were bathed in a golden light. At once, the veins in Rei's face began to calm down as if the angel was being pulled out of her like an invasive tapeworm. The feeling that it left in its wake was nauseating and strange, not to mention excruciatingly painful. Rei moaned in pain as the extraction dragged on.

Armisael's other end lashed at Shinji but he managed to catch the tendril in his hand.

"_**I'll take you instead."**_

"_I think not," _he thought at her and he could feel her surprise at the fact that a Lilim just mentally spoke to her. As Armisael tried to overtake Shinji through his hand, Shinji retrieved his Prog Knife and slammed it into the angel's glowing flesh. But he didn't realize the angel's connection to Rei would have affected both of them.

Rei screamed in pain echoing Armisael's scream.

"_Shinji! Wait until I have her out! You'll hurt Rei if you continue your assault!"_

"_Noted… sorry."_

Shinji dropped his Prog Knife and got both hands on the angel. He then started pulling as hard as he could.

On the bridge Maya nearly screamed. "Shinji's Sync Ratio just jumped to over 100!"

"What?" Misato yelled and ran over to Maya's station virtually over her shoulder."

"110, 120, 128…"

"I won't let you die!" Shinji yelled as he pulled harder.

Arael kept up the golden light, penetrating both AT Fields and extracting Armisael from Rei's EVA, it was a slow process as she was fighting every step of the way. At last after nearly two straight minutes of Shinji pulling, Armsiael was ripped from EVA 00 with a sickening pop.

Rei gasped as her mind was fully ripped from the pseudo reality. EVA 00 could not continue the battle but now there were two that could.

Armisael instantly redoubled her efforts to invade Shinji but his AT Field was now being reinforced by his own personal one. Armisael couldn't fully penetrate his EVA which left her at Shinji's mercy. He retrieved his prog knife and dug in again, spraying more blue blood skyward. Arael at that moment dove down to grasp the other side. With a mighty wing beat she flew backwards, holding her own core in two hands while grasping Armisael with the other set pulling her tendril-like body taunt.

Shinji wasted no time in pulling the blade along the body of the angel like a taxidermist gutting a snake. Armisael's shrieks reached ever higher octaves and decibels until she was finally silenced. What was left of her body was a dull grey tendril that was half gutted. A tiny core could be seen near the point where Shinji started cutting, and it was cut cleanly in half.

"The target is silent," Makoto reported.

A general calm settled over the bridge for a moment as Arael returned to her Nephilim form in mid air, preferring it now to her angelic one. As her clothing was gone, she conjured her blue sundress to cover her body as she changed.

"Pilot Ikari," Gendo said over the com-link. "Retrieve the remaining angel."

"What?" Shinji replied. "You can't honestly think I'm going to do that."

"I gave you an order pilot," Gendo said more forcibly. "Retrieve the angel, now."

Shinji's face twisted into one of anger. "No way. I refuse."

"Doctor Akagi, activate the dummy plug. I want that angel."

Misato tried to stop Ritsuko but Shigeru jumped in.

"Don't be a fool Major," he cautioned. "You can't disobey a direct order like that!"

"Damnit Shigeru!" she yelled. "Don't you see this is wrong?"

Shinji's plug shut down.

"_Gods, not again."_

"_Shinji? What's going on? What's a dummy plug?"_

"_My father is taking control of the EVA, he's going to try to capture you!"_

Arael sensed another mind inside of Shinji's plug. Immediately she reached out to it realizing instantly that it was both an empty shell and it felt familiar.

"_Rei," _Shinji thought at her though the link. He pulled the thought from her mind the moment she realized it.

"_It's just an empty shell," _she replied as the EVA's eyes flashed on and it tried to grab for her.

Arael responded by floating out reach and locking eyes with the EVA. Inside she felt yet another presence, one that was willing to help and one she was expecting to find. She pleaded with the spirit of Yui Ikari and she agreed to help her. Using Yui's spirit as a bridge, Arael unleashed a massive psychic attack into the dummy plug. Almost instantly the thing was dead but it also disabled Yui's spirit forcing it deeper into the EVA's core. Shinji could no longer sync with the EVA so it remained shut down.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Command Ikari," she called out, knowing he could hear her through the EVA. "But I'm not so easily captured.

Unit 01's external speakers clicked on. "So it would seem, however I am not above exploiting weaknesses, as you will soon find out. The EVA is currently shut down. Whatever you did caused the pilot to lose connection with the EVA. I happen to know you are close to this pilot."

Arael's eyes narrowed down. "What are you thinking? Are you going to use your own son as bait?"

"I could leave him in there and shut down his life support. That would kill him in approximately one hour. Of course that's plenty of time for you to find a way to get him out. So instead, I'll increase the pressure of the LCL in the plug to levels beyond human tolerance."

"No! Don't!" Arael's heart started beating rapidly. She could sense Shinji's fear now.

"Perhaps now you see the futility of defying me," Gendo said in a level voice. "Surrender or I'll kill the Third Child."

Misato was now trying to break away from Shigeru with all her strength, Makoto also moved in to help him keep her down.

"How dare you threaten my ward you bastard!" she yelled out. "I'll kill you if you hurt him!"

Gendo looked on impassively. "Security to the bridge. I want Major Katsuragi arrested. She's being charged with threatening a superior officer."

Maya wanted to do something but she knew she didn't have the strength or the will to go though with it. Ritsuko wasn't about to let the opportunity to get a live angel slip through her fingers.

"Ritz! Help me!" Misato yelled at her.

Ritsuko looked back sadly. "I'm sorry Misato, I can't pass up this opportunity, not even for a friend."

"Traitor," Misato hissed. "All you care about is your fucking science! I thought you were different! Apparently I was wrong."

Though the words stung, Ritsuko Akagi made not indication of it.

"If that is the way you feel, so be it." Her voice was cold and nearly emotionless. Misato knew at that moment that she had truly been betrayed.

In the end it took five members of the internal security force to take Misato down, and there were a few broken bones and a bloody nose suffered by the security personnel. They tazered her and dragged her unconscious form off the bridge to the brig.

"This is your last chance," Gendo called though EVA 01. "Surrender to us or I will kill him."

"If you do, you won't be able to stop me," Arael threatened. "I'll start Third Impact, and you don't have any EVA's left to stop me."

Gendo looked towards Ritsuko. She shook her head and pointed at the computer. Gendo looked down at his console and showed him what she was pointing at. Even from this range, they could gather some brainwave data on Arael but it was only basic information that she was projecting but it was enough to call her bluff. The fact that it perfectly matched what Gendo was seeing on Shinji was all the proof he needed.

"We both know you won't survive if I kill him," he said.

Arael's blood froze in her veins. _"They know…"_

"I'm running out of patience," Gendo cautioned.

Arael looked down, feeling her tears reach her eyes.

_**They will experiment on you, slice you open, take you apart, you'll be dead anyway. Do you want to spend the rest of your existence as a Lab Rat?**_

She could feel the dark sister at her back, cautioning her against surrender.

_What choice have I? I won't let them kill Shinji… I would rather die._

"You win," Arael said softly, but just loud enough to for Gendo to hear it. "I surrender."

Gendo smiled behind his hands. Even angels could be predictable after all.

**To Be Continued….**

* * *

**End of Chapter V**

* * *

_An Angel strays upon my door, so frail and lost within,_

_To weep upon her days of yore, my decadent come in_

_Her stain and tears upon my floor, the sorrow that she brings,_

_Devotion of a life outworn, in decadence come in…_

_-Tristania, A Sequel of Decay_

* * *

**A/N:** I will be doing review responses at the end of chapter 7.


	6. Acts of Betrayal, Part II

_They return at evening,_

_ Snarling like dogs,_

_ And prowl about the city._

_See what they spew from their mouths—_

_ The words from their lips are sharp as swords_

_ And they think, "Who can hear us?"_

_- Psalm 55_

* * *

**VI: Acts of Betrayal, Part II**

* * *

Slowly EVA 01 descended back into the darkness. Shinji was cut off from the world, but he knew and sensed what was happening though Arael's senses. He wasn't happy at all, but he also knew he could do nothing about it. Sure an adrenaline fueled rage would pump up his psychic powers briefly but it would never be enough against what his father had at his fingertips. He couldn't save Arael in this state.

He saw through her eyes as she was led down into the labs of NERV, saw as she was forced to sit on a table, and felt the sharp pain as something roughly disk shaped was placed on the side of her head. Then… nothing. He could sense she was alive, but he couldn't see what she saw and couldn't sense what she sensed. All he felt just before the link turned into so much static was fear.

"I swear if I ever become strong enough, I will kill him myself."

* * *

**NERV Lab**

* * *

Arael let out a cry of pain as the device pierced the side of her head and latched on like a parasite. All at once, she lost her ability to use her powers. She could still sense that Shinji was well, but all of her psychic abilities were suddenly nullified. This brought upon her a sensation she was familiar with. She felt it the day Misato almost killed her.

Fear…

It was overwhelming and almost suffocating. So stifling was the fear, that she couldn't really function nor could she fight back anymore.

Gendo stood in the room nearby watching as the conjured sun dress that Arael wore disintegrated as she could no longer maintain it. This left her naked on the table for all eyes to see. But Arael was in such a mental state that she couldn't even bring herself to care anymore. She barely even felt the cold.

"Why are you not changing back into your angelic form?" He asked in his demanding voice.

Arael looked at him and in a soft voice she responded, "When I fell from grace, my Nephilim form became my true form. If you were hoping to study a living angel, you are wasting your time." Her voice was level and it reminding him of Rei.

_She's trying to regress into her mind, hide her fear by blocking out external stimuli. I can't have that. I need her lucid._

He nodded towards Doctor Akagi who hit a button a small wrist computer. All at once, Arael's world turned into pain. She fell off the table, her unprotected body hitting the floor hard. When Akagi took her finger off the button, the pain stopped but the echo of it was still there. Arael cried now from both the pain and fear she could no longer ignore. Using what little strength she had she pushed herself away into a corner and pulled her knees into her chest, staring fearfully at both of them.

"Regression is intolerable," Gendo said levelly. "For the purposes of our experiments, we need you lucid and aware."

"What the hell do you want from me?" She screamed back. "I can't teach you anything you don't already know!"

"We'll be the judge of that," Ritsuko replied. Her face was impassive and without pity. This was an angel, the very thing Ritsuko had spent most of her life studying and learning about. This was one of the creatures that were trying to end the world, responsible for the deaths of billions. Of course she knew that humanity was responsible for triggering Second Impact, but she always found it easier to push the blame on Adam and his brethren.

"Please…" Arael whispered, "don't hurt me anymore."

"I wonder how many times Pilot Sohryu said the same thing when you raped her mind?" Gendo said impassively.

Arael felt a pang of guilt at the mention of Asuka. She never did get a chance to confront the girl and apologize for what she had done to her. Arael really wanted to, she had no idea of the pain she was causing. She wanted to repair the damage she had done, but now she would never get that chance.

"This is different," she said barely above a whisper. "I didn't know I was hurting her."

"You hurt her because you wanted to know more about humanity," Ritsuko countered. "We're going to hurt you, because we want to know about the angels, seems a fair trade from my position."

Arael shook from both the cold room which she now began to feel and the fear of what was to come. What tortures would they put her through now that they had her?

"The device I installed on the side of your head disrupts the frontal cortex of your brain. Since you're Nephilim now, you conform in many ways to the same biology as a human being. Though everything on the outside, skin, hair, nails, are basically angelic tissues. That is my theory at least. I'll need to take samples to prove it. But the point of this little explanation is this… if you attempt to break free of the device it will deliver a charge about twenty times the strength of the one you just received. It will knock you unconscious. If you resist often enough, there will be consequences. And forget about the AT-Field, the device can disrupt your concentration enough to keep you from expanding it."

"I want to see Shinji-kun," Arael said softly.

"Understand this, angel. To us you are nothing more than a lab rat… albeit one that can talk. Lab rats don't get visitation privileges."

She flinched at the term, almost hearing the whispering of her dark sister saying she told her so in the recesses of her mind. Tears slipped freely, tracing down her cheeks and landing on her hugged knees.

Gendo nodded towards the two security personnel, outside who came in and roughly grabbed her and dragged her out of the room.

"How long until you are ready for a full study?" he asked the doctor.

"I'll be ready by tomorrow morning," Ritsuko replied. "I'll need to finish the security algorithms for the MAGI before I begin, otherwise SEELE will be privy to my research."

"Keep me informed," he said and walked out.

* * *

**Elsewhere**

* * *

Shinji was finally allowed to leave his EVA. Upon stepping onto the walkway, he clenched his fists trying to keep his anger in check. He knew he didn't have the power to stop Gendo, but perhaps he could hit him where it hurt the most. Walking straight for the changing room, he said naught a word to anyone, afraid that anything anyone would say would push him passed the point of aggression and into pure unadulterated rage, one he wouldn't be able to control and would accomplish nothing.

Ten minutes later, he was entering Gendo's Office.

Gendo sat behind the desk, in the usual bastard pose. Watching from behind his hands as his son, the Third Child of NERV walked up to the desk.

"I want to see her," was the first thing out of his mouth.

"That is not possible," he replied immediately. "She has corrupted you enough."

"She's not evil father! She's one of us now! There's no reason for this!"

"You are only saying that because you were under her influence. Need I remind you that Arael's abilities are psychic in nature? You don't see it but she's been manipulating you."

Shinji's eyes took a hard turn. "Bullshit," he snapped.

"Watch your tongue, pilot. I could have you thrown into the brig for less."

Shinji was beyond caring. "I don't know why you want her father, but I know what your plans are."

"What is it you think you know?" he asked with mild curiosity.

"I know that you're intending to start Third Impact yourself to get mom back. Do you really think she'd approve of your scenario?"

Gendo lost his normally calm composure and slammed his hands down on the desk. "That's enough! You know nothing but what the angel told you. We have a responsibility to humanity, and none of us have time for these games. No get out of my office before I have you escorted to the brig."

"Do it," Shinji taunted. "Even if you do bring mom back, it won't change anything. Second Impact was partially your doing and you have the blood of billions of innocents on your hands. I'm tired of these games! Arael is everything I need now to feel normal, not that you ever let me feel that way. I want to see her now!"

At that moment he was grabbed from behind by two strong sets of hands. Though he struggled, he couldn't get free. He contemplated using his abilities but he didn't want to tip his hand yet, and he didn't know if he'd be able to control it enough to make a difference. His insecurity was still controlling him, staying his hand.

"You are now confined to the brig until either you learn the error of your ways, or we need you in the field," Gendo sentenced. "You've brought this on yourself. The lies and misinformation of Arael will soon become clear to you, or else you will spend the rest of your natural life in solitary confinement."

"This isn't over!" Shinji yelled back as he was dragged away.

* * *

**Lower Research Labs**

* * *

Arael was curled up in a ball in one corner of a padded room. A mirror sat on the opposite side but she refused to look at it. She started to uncurl as she heard the door open and looked to see who came for her now.

She saw a girl walk in with a mane of red hair and blue eyes, and a look on her face that spoke of her anger. Instantly Arael knew who this was and knew why she was here.

"Asuka…" she whispered.

"That's Miss Langley to you, bitch," she said as she closed the distance between them. Arael attempted to get up but was kicked swiftly in the stomach as she tried. With the wind knocked out of her she coughed trying to catch her breath. "Not so tough now are you? Doctor Akagi told me who you were. You took away my ability to pilot EVA, you stole my reason for existence and you raped my fucking mind! It's too bad I can't kill you, because I would do so right now without hesitation."

"I…" she coughed. "I wish… you would."

"Death would be too good for you angel. Though I get to be your executioner when they're done with you. You fucked me up good you cunt… Doctor Akagi tells me the brain damage was too severe and that I'll never pilot EVA again." She stomped on her back and began mercilessly kicking Arael, enjoying each cry of pain out of the angel. "You know, this is very therapeutic, I feel better already."

"Please… forgive me," she managed to get out.

Asuka grabbed her by her hair and slammed her into the padded wall. She looked her straight in the eye and said, "You ruined my life! I… will… never… forgive you. EVER!"

Throwing her back down to the floor Asuka turned in a huff and headed for the door. As Arael tried to get back up again, she heard the door open. Asuka paused there for a moment.

"I hope they put you through hell before they allow me to kill you," she said with pure malice in her voice. Then she slammed the door leaving Arael alone with her thoughts.

As Arael cried on the floor, more from the mental pain then the physical, her dark sister returned to her in her mind.

"_**Did you really expect this to be any different?"**_

_Leave me alone… haven't you done enough?_

"_**Enough? Ha! I'm just getting started. See what you get for throwing your lot in with them? Why didn't you take Tabris up on his offer and go home? Now look at you! And who knows what they will do to you. I've heard once that the orderlies at these types of places tend to abuse little girls like you. One of them is liable to take your virginity while he's at it."**_

_We had no choice but to submit. We can't live without him and you know it._

"_**I would rather die than submit. But that's the difference between an angel and a Lilim eh?"**_

She stood up approaching the mirror where she saw her reflection staring back at her. Its eyes turned black and veins of darkness erupted across the reflection's face. Noticeably, the device keeping her under control was missing in the reflection.

_You don't even exist, you're just a construct made of my fears and pain._

"_**Maybe, but I'm as real as you. And it was you who let them put us on a leash. You know, If you tried hard enough, you could likely break free and go rescue your boyfriend."**_

_Gendo Ikari would kill him before I could rescue him._

"_**Then use your power and try to break the link. He's not worth it."**_

_No! I love him! I can't do that to him. I'd rather die than see him suffer and die for me._

"_**How noble…" **_With a look of disgust the reflection faded away leaving her normal reflection to stare at her.

Arael sat opposite the mirror, pulling her knees to her chest and tried to ignore the chill in the room. They treated her like a lab rat… "Lab Rats have no use for clothing," the doctor had said. "Besides, it saves us the trouble of having to wait for you to undress every time we need to run tests. I thought angels liked efficiency."

"Am I really just an animal to them?" that was rhetorical of course, Arael knew that these evil men and women saw her as nothing more than a science project to be poked, prodded, studied and eventually dissected, although if her dark sister was to be believed, some would see her as a convenient warm body. She shuddered at that thought. Though angels had no concept of rape, Arael knew enough to know that the experience was more than just a little unpleasant. In her state, she wouldn't be able to fight off an attacker if one did try to take her.

* * *

**NERV Brig**

* * *

Misato paced back in forth in her cell like a lion in a cage. She wanted to kill Gendo for threatening her ward. Her rage was still plainly visible on her face as her breathing quickened.

"Who the hell does he think he is?" she growled under her breath. "He'd sacrifice his own son just to get a look at Arael. Madman…"

"He knows what he must do," came the voice of Ritsuko.

Misato threw herself at the bars reaching for her, but Ritsuko was just out of reach. She didn't even flinch at the sudden attempt.

"You fucking cunt!" Misato yelled. "You fucking, backstabbing whore! You stood by and did nothing! Why? Is this all in the name of science?"

Ritsuko had both hands in her pockets. Then with surprising speed her left hand grasped Misato's outstretched right, twisting it so she couldn't move it, and stabbed her in the wrist with a needle, pushing the plunger down hard to make sure all of the viscous fluid entered her veins.

Misato stumbled back as her vision quickly doubled. She felt nauseous and disoriented.

"Wha… what the fuck did you…" she stumbled nearly passing out, "you… put in me?"

"A strong sedative," Ritsuko said. "You had contact with the angel, so I'll have to run some tests. Sadly, you've been a bit uncontrollable as of late, so you'll have to be unconscious for them. This might make the tests less accurate but I'll have to take that risk."

"Fuck… fuck…" Misato tried to squeeze out one last insult but all at once her mental functions shut down and she hit the floor. Though she was still breathing, she was nearly comatose.

"Poor Misato… If only you had decided to be cooperative, you wouldn't be in such a sorry state." Ritusko nodded to two burly orderlies who entered the cell and dragged her out.

* * *

**NERV Infirmary**

* * *

Rei opened her eyes to find a familiar ceiling above her. Her head felt like it had been hit with a jackhammer but she was used to that by now. What she wasn't used to was the feeling of being personally violated.

Rei sat up slowly but gave up on it when she felt her lower abdominal muscles twinge and cramp up. All at once she remembered what happened to her. The pain and feelings of violation became too much for her all at once. She rolled on her side and slowly curled up, letting tears slip.

She knew what crying meant but she had never cried before the incident. Letting herself cry felt oddly agreeable. Though her emotions were stunted by drugs and her upbringing, nothing could stop the floodgates of her emotions from beginning to open.

"She… saved me…"

An angel had saved her, the very thing they had sworn to destroy. But Arael was no ordinary angel anymore, she was closer to what Rei herself was. She was Nephilim, and that word would stick with her because she finally knew what she herself was… she finally had a name for it.

Everything the Commander did for her seemed to be because he acted as the caring father figure she needed… but the truth was, he wasn't her father at all. The truth was she didn't even have a father. Technically, she had two mothers; Yui Ikari, and the angel Lilith.

Little by little the dots in her mind began to connect as she cried due to her emotional mask being shattered by her ordeal. Gendo never cared about her, she was just a tool to him. Her sisters in the well were all a means to an end. Asuka once accused her of being a doll and now she knew she was right. She was a tool to be used and thrown away when her purpose was served. At one time, she embraced the idea that her sad existence would eventually end, but now she wanted to live and experience life for herself. The evil machinations of Gendo prevented her from ever experiencing anything remotely similar to a real childhood, and those machinations would destroy the world soon. Rei knew it had to end… that he had to be stopped.

"I am not a doll," she whispered between tears. "I am I."

* * *

**Hours Later**

* * *

Arael was thrown back into her cell roughly by the orderlies. She learned that her fears of being raped by them were unfounded as they found her repulsive since they were told what she really was. She still bore the latest scars of the last batch of experiments and studies. The young angel watched with almost indifference as the blue lines that made up the original incisions lengthways down her arms disappeared. Apparently the device Ritusko made to keep her under control didn't affect her angelically enhanced regeneration.

"_**They will never truly control us,"**_ The dark sister whispered. _**"You have but to bide your time."**_

_And here I thought you didn't approve of my decision._

"_**Let's get one thing straight. I never approved of your decision to surrender. But as my fate is yours, it would be unwise of me to simply let you die. We will survive… we must survive."**_

_I have not given up hope yet. I can still feel Shinji-kun._

"_**Yes… the link is strong… and soon he will be strong enough to resist."**_

_Tabris is coming._

"_**But you know why he is coming don't you? He's not coming for us. He's coming for Adam."**_

_He'll fail, just as we all have._

"_**Ever are you on the side of the Lilim. Did you forget what they did to Adam? Oh, that's right, you abandoned him in favor of a child." **_At that moment she saw one of her first nightmares again in her mind. Adam's effigy twisted into the singularity as the nightmare version of Shinji was pushed to her.

Arael sat straight up, looking at her naked form in the nearby mirror, seeing the dark sister there in the same sitting position, her black eyes and veiny features staring back in a twisted smile.

"You've been inside me for that long?" She was no longer speaking in her mind, her surprise and outrage visible on her face.

"I have been with you ever since the lance pierced our core," Arael said in a grainer voice as if she were the dark sister. If anyone was outside the door at this moment they would have thought her insane.

"How?"

"The damage done had affected us both on a physical and mental level. We split into two entities at that moment. You are our collective curiosity, and I'm glad to be rid of it, let me tell you. I on the other hand am the real angel, the one who wants to end humanity because of what they have done."

"I won't do it."

"You think you have a choice? Ha! You are an angel, first and foremost. Your purpose as one of the messengers is to deliver the Lilum to their fate, to merge with the All-Father and bring about the glorious rebirth of our civilization. But instead you have bonded to them and now try harder to be one of them. You're pathetic and you need to learn the error of your ways. Now rip that device off your head and find Adam. End this foolishness."

"No, I won't." Realizing what had happened to her own mind, her tears began to fall. She was never certain of what that dark being was. She thought it was a psychic hitchhiker, something her brethren put in her mind to try to steer her back, but now she realized that the monster she saw in the mirror, truly was her. She was the monster. She was the one who desired to end humanity. She was the very thing she had now learned to hate.

"Do it!"

"No!" she screamed and punched the mirror as hard as her small frame could. It shattered on impact, spreading glass shards all over the floor. "I hate you! I hate everything about you! I'll never be like that again, do you hear me?"

Her dark half appeared behind her, though just as a mental projection.

"_**Pathetic… truly pathetic. You're nothing but their slave now, and that's all you'll ever be. Is this how you truly wish for our race to end? You and Tabris are all that's left you know."**_

Arael finally localized where in her mind this alternate personality was hiding. She was about to cause herself a lot of pain, but it would be over quickly, she assured herself. Carefully she reached down and found a suitable piece of mirror.

"Perhaps it is time our race left this world. Let's start with you."

"_**What are you…" **_Then it dawned on her. She realized what the mirror piece was for and what it represented. _**"NO!"**_

Arael closed her eyes and used her all her strength in a grunt, stabbed herself in the frontal lobe of her brain as hard as she could. Even though it was just a piece of glass her aim was perfect and the attack angle allowed for full penetration even though the bones in her skull. Her world went red as the glass dug into her grey matter, destroying neurons and nerve connections as it went. But it was not just the physical act of doing this, it was the will she put into the action. The physical injury would never be fatal to her, but this act was what sealed the deal. Her will made her believe she was killing her dark side, and that fact is what made it a reality.

As Arael fell to her knees, the dark sister behind her faded away, screaming in pain as she went. With another grunt Arael ripped the mirror shard out of her head and allowed her angelic regeneration to heal the injury she sustained. Breathing hard she felt as if a huge weight lifted off of her shoulders. She wasn't sure if she actually killed her dark half, but she knew that it would not taunt her again for quite sometime if it did survive.

_Shinji, can you hear me?_

"_Arael? Thank god I can hear you again! Where are you?" _Shinji's voice sounded relived and worried at the same time.

Apparently, her dark half was also holding her back….

_Somewhere in their laboratory. They have been studying me._

"_Damn them! If I ever get out of here, I will make them suffer for this!"_

_One thing at a time. _She grunted in pain, the device was asserting itself making it difficult for her to keep up the link.

"_Arael! What's happening? Why are fading in and out!"_

_They have a device that's keeping my powers in check, I can't keep up the link much longer. Hang in there, I'll figure something out, I promise._

"_You hang in there too."_

Arael lost the telepathic link, though she could still sense him. Touching the side of her head in pain, she let a soft moan escape her lips. The device was starting to be less effective. Just as her dark sister had said, all she had to do now was bide her time.

* * *

**Elsewhere**

* * *

Shinji stood up in his cell. He knew now that Arael was in far greater danger than even he could have imagined.

"Father… I'll kill you for this."

Deep inside his body, the essence of the angels was stirring. The need to rescue Arael was strong but he could never do it himself. But already an angelic core was beginning to grow. In time, it would grow to full strength and Shinji would take his place as an immortal Nephilim. Shinji knew this to be true, but now it would take a small miracle to save them both before his father found out and took action.

Little did he realize that the last messenger was already on his way and time had already run out.

**To Be Concluded…**

* * *

**End of Chapter VI**

* * *

_An Angel strays upon my door, so frail and lost within,_

_To weep upon her days of yore, my decadent come in_

_Her stain and tears upon my floor, the sorrow that she brings,_

_Devotion of a life outworn, in decadence come in…_

_-Tristania, A Sequel of Decay_

* * *

**A/N:** I will be doing review responses at the end of chapter 7.


	7. Acts of Betrayal, Part III

**VII: Acts of Betrayal, Part III**

* * *

"May I present Kaworu Nagisa, the Fifth Child."

The introduction was made by Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki to the bridge crew. The first person to introduce themselves to this strange boy was the last anyone would have expected.

"Hell Nagisa-san, I'm acting Captain Maya Ibuki. I'm currently in charge of operations here."

The red eyed child's smile never dimmed. "A pleasure to meet you as well Captain," he replied politely. "I suppose I will be deferring to you from now on?"

Maya blushed slightly. "Heh… well for the time being anyway."

"It is strange though," he began, "I was told that a Captain Katsuragi was in charge of operations. Where is she now?"

Maya's face fell. Though it still held a smile, it was now a sad smile. "There was an incident… she's been arrested. I'd… rather not go into details about that right now."

Kaworu looked surprised by that. "How strange, I do hope everything turns out ok for her. I was looking forward to meeting her."

"I'm sure," she replied. "She's usually the life of this place… in a manner of speaking."

Gendo approached at this point. Kaworu saluted him immediately.

"As you were," he said at once. "Welcome to NERV. As you probably already know, I'm the Supreme Commander here."

"Yes sir, I know." Kaworu watched as another man walked up to the commander's side wearing a black special ops uniform."

"This is Major Tashima," Gendo stated as if answering the unasked question. "He's currently the head of Section-2, our internal security force."

Tashima held out hand which Kaworu took graciously. "If you need to report anything suspicious or just need help, we'll be there to keep you safe."

"I'm in good hands I'm sure."

Maya spoke up a moment later. "Come on, let me show you around the rest of the facility."

Tashima and Gendo watched them leave.

"You thoughts," Gendo asked in a low voice as they entered the observation area.

"Nephilim alright," he replied as soon as the door closed. "So, we take SEELE's eyes away and they find a new set."

"Indeed," Gendo replied. "I'm fairly certain they used the same technique I used to create Rei to create him. It remains to be seen how well they manage to duplicate my efforts."

"Who's DNA do you think they used? I get the feeling he's cloned from Adam, but I'm unsure of the other half. He doesn't remind me of anyone I know."

"Actually, he reminds me a little of Keel himself."

Tashima looked shocked at that thought. "You don't honestly believe he would use his own DNA do you?"

"Why not, we both know how egotistical he can get."

"True enough."

* * *

As the tour continued, Kaworu seemed to become more and more fascinated with this place.

"So what do you think?" Maya asked as they entered the cages.

"It's magnificent," he replied. "Truly a testament to our accomplishments."

"Yeah, I get that feeling every time I come to work," Maya lied.

"So when do I get the meet the other children? I'm especially interested in meeting the hero of the war, Ikari Shinji."

Maya looked sad again. "I'm afraid that won't be possible. He's been put in the brig for insubordination."

Tabris remembered seeing Shinji on the mountain and wanted to meet with him to see how far long his transformation has come. He was also very interested in seeing what kind of a person could captivate the heart of his sister… but this news was disturbing and cautioned of an even more dire situation. Why couldn't he sense Arael?

"I see. I'm sorry to hear that. Hopefully he'll be forgiven."

"I think that might be up to him now," Maya said. "His father of course, is Commander Ikari, and he's been pretty strict on his son lately."

"Won't cut him any slack for being his son huh? Well I guess that makes sense. I can't imagine someone in such a position would be able to show any favoritism at all."

"I never really thought of it that way," Maya replied. "I tried not to think about the ethical implications because I thought the commander was just being usually cruel. But it makes sense now."

Kaworu smiled gently to her. "Well, I think I understand how workplace politics operates by now."

"But you're only 15!"

"Old enough to save the world," Kaworu replied casually. "Basically that means I need to adapt or else I can't help anyone. Sometimes the political battlefield can be just as dangerous as fighting the Angels."

"You've never fought an Angel," Maya pointed out.

"And I hope I never have to," he replied. "But let's be realistic. How I handle myself socially is at least as important as how I do on the field of war."

"Wow," Maya said with a sigh. "Fifteen years old going on fifty. I wasn't expecting you to be so…"

"Mature?" Kaworu replied causing Maya to blush. "We small children of the world live in a time were we have to grow up and throw away childish things at a young age if we are to survive."

Maya felt sorry for him, just as she had felt a pang of guilt towards all of the children of NERV. The fate of the world rested upon the shoulders of 14 and 15 year olds. It didn't seem right, but this was how it ended up… and Maya couldn't help but feel bad anyway.

"I'm sorry, I meant no disrespect," she said sadly.

"I took none," he replied. "I know how you must feel. Especially now, you are the one that has to order us to our fates." He took her hand gently. "That can't be easy on you."

Maya blushed at the sudden contact. She didn't know what it was about this boy that was affecting her so. _"Pull yourself together… he's just a boy! Besides you're not even into boys!"_

But Maya knew she wasn't solely into girls either. Sure she's always had a certain admiration for Ritsuko Akagi which turned into a crush over time, but she knew she could also be taken by males. Something about this boy was getting to her, and she found herself wishing she were six years younger, or him just four more older….

"I-It isn't," she said trying to keep her voice together. Now for more than just one reason… he was concerned about her despite the fact that his own life would be put on the line. "I promise I won't do so needlessly."

"I doubt anything you do is needless," he said softly. "I should return to my room. Please let me know if Ikari-kun is released from the brig. I'd really like to meet him."

As Kaworu walked away, Maya felt a familiar pang in her body… one she hadn't felt since she first began having a crush on her boss.

"We don't deserve him," she whispered to herself.

* * *

**Elsewhere**

* * *

Rei was allowed to return home just before Kaworu's arrival but opted to stay in NERV. She stood now, in her school uniform looking over the Geo Front. The massive hole in the roof that was torn open by Zeruel's attack was still plainly visible, and there were no signs of repair work.

She thought about Arael, the girl who her half-brother (for all intents and purposes) fell in love with. If even one Angel could learn the value of human life, doesn't that mean that this war couldn't continue? She knew that only one angel remained, but she didn't know how she knew that.

"You must be the First Child," came an unfamiliar voice.

Rei turned from the window and saw Kaworu walking towards her, with his hands in his pockets and a gentle smile on his face. Immediately Rei felt like she needed to be defensive.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"Now now, no need to be alarmed. My name is Kaworu Nagisa, I'm the Fifth Child, here to replace the Second as the designated pilot of Unit 02."

"I see," Rei replied. "You are… not what I expected."

"I can see that," he replied. "But I also see how similar we are. We are the same in many ways you and I. Can't you feel it?"

Rei's voice actually caught in her throat as she felt a pang of fear. "I… I don't know what I'm feeling."

"It seems my presence is disturbing you more. Perhaps I should go."

Without another word he left her in peace. To Rei that was a harrowing experience and she didn't know why. She placed a hand over her heart feeling it beat rapidly.

"What's happened to me?" she asked herself. "I've never felt fear before… I've never cried… now…."

Perhaps she knew deep down that life was precious, and that she really couldn't be replaced. The perceived loss of her immortality cracked her confidence.

"I… I don't want to be weak," she said, trying to hold back tears. "I never realized how hard it was to be… human."

_Nephilim_, a small part of her corrected.

"I have to help Arael," she whispered. "She saved my life… I can't let her suffer. But what can I do?"

* * *

**NERV Labs, next day**

* * *

Arael was tossed back into her cell again. Much to the surprise of the orderlies, she stood back up again. He watched as the lines that slowly bled blue blood were closing up.

"Freak," he hissed.

Arael looked at him. "Call me what you will," she whispered. She noted the mirror had been replaced in her absence.

"I heard you started cutting on yourself. Guess that makes you an emo bitch now too."

Arael looked at the man past her hair. "If you hate me so much, why do your eyes never leave my body?"

He slammed the door to her cell as he left.

Arael sat against the wall idly watching her scars disappear. The tests were getting worse, and left her weaker every time. But her mind never mirrored her body's weakness. The device was still doing its job, but it wasn't working as well as it should be. She found she was able to sense psychic impressions off of individuals. The man who brought her back in here was disgusted with himself for lusting after her on some level, and she drove the point home. They may have not wanted anything to do with her that way, but men had needs. Eventually, he would cross that line, just as her dark sister one predicted.

Arael hoped she would be free before that had a chance to come to pass. It's been a week now, since she was captured and subjected to these experiments and the separation from Shinji was weighting her down. She started to hear voices, distant now, but she knew it was the cacophony she was all too familiar with beginning to surface again.

"I need him," she whispered as he face softened and tears began to trail down her cheeks. The last of her scars faded away but she still felt the intrusion of the blade into her flesh, felt the doctor poking and proding in place she was never meant to be touched. Her legs unconsciously closed.

"_She's capable of breeding..."_

Her left hand trailed down below her naval.

"_I wonder if that would regenerate too."_

An unseen scar that trailed from her naval down to her most sacred place faded away.

"_She isn't pregnant is she?"_

"_Don't worry, she's still a virgin."_

"_I didn't think the Third Child was capable of that, but it never hurts to make sure."_

"Shinji," she whispered in a small, almost pathetic voice. She missed him so terribly it hurt in ways she never imagined it would. "I wish you were here with me… I think I could endure this if you were here…."

* * *

**NERV Test Chamber**

* * *

Maya Ibuki looked on as the Fifth Child was going through his synch test.

"How's he doing Shigeru?" she asked.

"Amazing," he said. "Simply amazing. He's averaging 97% right now. It's the highest we've ever seen in a first time synch. Where was this kid when the third angel attacked?"

"I wish I knew," Maya said, though she let a little more emotion out than she wanted to. While Shigeru didn't notice the change, Makoto did. He pressed his glasses in but otherwise said nothing.

As Kaworu concentrated, he tried reaching out to Arael. He knew she was here somewhere but where was she hiding? He could sense her just on the edge of his psychic radar, but he couldn't pin down her location. He did sense a kindred though, probably from the brig, and likely that was from Shinji who by now was well on his way to becoming a Nephilim.

* * *

**Later**

* * *

Kaworu wandered NERV for a few hours before he made his move. Using short range teleportation which required line of sight, he was able to avoid all of Section-2 and the security cameras as he made his way to the brig. Finally entering this dungeon of horrors, he slowly made his way in the direction of where he sensed Shinji.

As he passed a cell, a hand reached out and grabbed his arm.

Kaworu came across his first atrocity.

"H… help… me…"

His eyes widened. The woman who he was sure was Misato Katsuragi was barely on her feet. Stripped down to just a pair of underwear and a short t-shirt, she shivered with the cold. It looked like entire sections of her skin were removed, covered in bandages and gauze in places and left exposed in others. There were dime shaped circles of hair shaved off where puncture scars were visible in her head. Her eyes were cloudy and her color was pale. Even her hair had lost its healthy shine.

"Goodness… what have they done to you?"

"The same thing they'll do to me eventually I'm sure," came the voice of Shinji in barely contained rage.

The hand of Misato fell from his arm as she collapsed against the bars and slid down. Kaworu moved down one cell on the opposite side of the hall and saw him. He still looked human, but his eyes now had a reddish tinge to them.

"Shinji?" he asked upon seeing him.

"Yeah," he replied. "And I'm guessing you're the Seventeenth."

"How perceptive," Tabris replied. "Did you sense me coming?"

"More or less," he replied. "The gifts of Arael are taking longer than I had hoped to manifest."

"Where is she," Tabris asked. "I have to see her."

"You won't," Shinji replied. "They're conducting experiments on her."

"What?" Tabris half-whispered and half-shouted at the same time. "How did they even manage to catch her?"

"They used me to do it," he replied. "Aparently, according to my father, the connection we share is such that if I die, she dies too. I wish I could save her myself but I'm not strong enough."

"Damn you Lilim!" he shouted. "It wasn't enough that your kind subjugated the All-Father, now you seek to experiment on all of us?"

"Hey, don't yell at me. My father is the madman behind this, and if I ever get out of this alive, I'm going to kill him."

"They're won't be a need for that. I've seen enough of the Lilim's atrocities."

Tabris began to walk away when Shinji grabbed him though the bars.

"Don't do it! Don't try to start Third Impact! There is another way! If we can get to the people responsible…." He was cut off as Tabris pulled away from him.

"No! It will only begin again at a later date. Do you think me a fool? Why does my sister still cling to such false hopes? I can see now that ending your race is the only path of redemption worthy for you. I wanted to believe there was another way. As the Angel of Free Will I hoped to Adam there was! But I can see that I was right all along to side with Adam. It doesn't matter anymore that my sister and I will be the only ones left in this world… your kind must to go!"

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Shinji replied grimly. "If you're going to do it, I'd do it fast."

"Oh? And why do you say that?"

"Because if you don't… I'll be the one to kill you. My hands are stained enough with the blood of your kind… don't let it end like this."

Tabris looked him over. "Your hand will never reach me."

He walked away at that, turning one last sad glance towards the former Captain before making his way to the cage.

There he stood before EVA 02.

"I find it poetic justice that I will use their weapon to complete my mission. It is time to end this travesty once and for all." He began to float off the ground before the behemoth. Instantly the four eyes of EVA 02 lit up as it activated at the behest of its new master.

* * *

**Shortly Thereafter**

* * *

Shinji's cell door was opened to find Captain Tashima standing there.

"Time to go to work boy," he said.

"I know…" was all Shinji said as he all but ran for the cage.

* * *

With the alarms going off Ritusko stopped her work of cutting on Arael again.

"I should get to the…" she never finished the sentence. She was slammed with an AT Field from Arael. Though the blow stunned her she was still awake, getting back to her feet she watched as Arael grabbed ahold of the device on her head and started pulling despite the shocks it was delivering to her brain.

"What are you doing?" the doctor cried fearfully.

With a cry of pain she ripped it off and crushed it with psychic force.

"I can't be here anymore, Shinji needs my help." She stood up unsteady for a moment before conjuring her blue sundress again. "I'd thank you for the hospitality, but I'd be lying."

Before Ritsuko could react, Arael had extended her wings and teleported.

* * *

Tabris reached the bottom of his decent and now floated before Heaven's Door.

"So this is where they are keeping him," he said as EVA 02 stood behind him.

As he approached the door he was suddenly slammed with a telekinetic burst and thrown into the rock wall. As he pulled himself out Arael landed on him.

"Hello, brother," she said.

"Arael," he replied before blowing her off of him with a blast of angelic energy. She flew back, slightly stunned by the blast but her wings opened and stopped her mid flight.

"So, it comes down to this," he continued. "I know they were conducting experiments on you… why do you still fight for them?"

"Because not all of them are like that… they're like us Tabris… full of emotion and life. You never understood that because all you ever saw was their evil. Even now, you've seen so little of their true spirit!"

"The only good thing that ever came out of this race is music," Tabris countered. "It isn't enough to save them. I don't want to kill you Arael, but you're leaving me with little choice in the matter."

"You'll kill me anyway if you start Third Impact," she replied. "Then what? You and the All-Father get to rewrite history? You can recreate our race by committing mass genocide?"

"There is no other choice in the matter now," he countered. "The Lilim do not deserve life… not after everything they have done. I'm sorry sister, but that's the way it is. I swore I would uphold his word."

"You are the Angel of Free Will and you don't see that this is wrong? What good is free will when you don't even use it?"

"Look at where it got the Lilim," he replied. "They are nothing but a bunch of power hungry, petty savages and they all deserve oblivion."

"Then we have nothing more to talk about," she replied sadly. "I will protect them with my life. I'm sorry bother, but you're going to have to kill me."

Tabris floated out of the wall and almost seemed to consider it for a moment.

"Okay," he said causally, and the air around Arael exploded into angelic energy. With her AT Field being eroded by Tabris, the attack hurt like hell and thew her into Heaven's Door with enough force to dent it. She recovered quickly, using her telekinetic power to rip chunks out of the ceiling and throw them at Tabris with great force. Even with his AT Field down, he slammed them away with his bare hands and flew at her with all possible speed, slamming her into Heaven's Door.

With a repulse of psychic energy, Tabirs was thrown off as Arael pursued him. She charged up angelic energy of her own and threw a double fisted blast of energy into him. He barely appeared to be phased by the attack as he threw another energy blast at her. She dodged it watching as the blast cracked opened the doors.

Rebounding quickly Arael tried to throw a point blank series of attacks his way, but Tabris proved to quick and strong for that tactic to be successful. With a kick she hit the doors again. Tabris flew into her grabbing her by the front of her outfit and thew her into a nearby wall. As she pulled herself out, Tabris slammed her back into it before ripping her out and delivering a sharp knee into her stomach. She coughed up blue blood as she was thrown and subjected to another blast of angelic power.

Pulling herself off the stone ground Tabris landed in front of her.

"They experimented on you for over a week, and yet you still protect them."

"You don't understand them the way I do," she fired back. "You say you've been here since the beginning… but you never tried to truly get inside their heads have you?"

"A waste of time," he said as he delivered a nasty right cross followed by punch into her stomach. As she keeled over he grabbed her by two of her wings and threw her into the ceiling. She barely missed the hanging stalagmites.

Before she could fall he caught her again, grasping a hold of the front of her dress with enough strength to keep her steady with one hand.

"Still think you can win? I control this fight," he said. "You're mental powers are useless against me, and your telekinetic abilities are no match for my power or skills as a warrior. You never should have faced me like this. You had no chance at all to defeat me."

"Who said I was trying to defeat you?" she said weakly as she struggled against his grip.

Realization finally settled in as he heard and felt EVA 02 fall dead. He turned back, letting her go as he was punched by a fist over 10 times his size. He went though Heaven's Door and slammed into the bottom of the LCL pool.

He quickly shot out of the liquid realizing he was basically just swimming in blood and saw the angel on the cross.

"This isn't Adam at all!" he exclaimed. "Lilith…."

A massive hand grabbed him, leaving only his head uncovered. He looked into the face of EVA 01… and smiled.

Arael flew over to him. "End this brother, I don't want you to die."

Tabris's smile turned sad. "I'm sorry sister… but I meant what I said on the mountain. This is as sure a sign as any that the time of the Angels is over. I had wished that our time wouldn't end like this… but that is not the nature of fate it seems."

He looked towards EVA 01. "Well Shinji… your hand certainly reached me."

"I only wish I could have gotten to know you better," Shinji replied. "Under different circumstances… we could have been friends."

"It wouldn't have been so bad to have you as a brother-in-law I think," Tabris replied thoughtfully. "But alas… it was never meant to be."

"You don't have to do this anymore," Arael pleaded. "The offer I made on the mountain still stands."

"I'm sorry sister… I can no more deny my nature than I can my fate. But I too meant what I said upon the mountain… I can never hate you. Fate has spoken, and arguing against fate is futility."

She knew now that he was lost to her. "Goodbye… brother…" Tears fell from Arael's eyes as she began to turn away. "I regret this ended in an act of betrayal on my part."

"No… it was I who betrayed you…."

Tabris closed his eyes a mere moment before Shinji's grip tightened. With a sickening pop, his body along with his core was crushed. The only thing recognizable was his head which fell into the LCL below and disintegrated quickly.

Arael buried her sadness; she knew they weren't out of the woods yet. Shinji coughed as he suddenly felt the pressure in his plug intensify.

"So here we are again," came Gendo's voice though the speakers of 01. "I think you know what happens next."

"Yes but do you?" she fired back. "The only reason you won the last time was because the soul in EVA 01 was forced into submergence from what I had to do to stop your so called 'Dummy Plug'. This time, the soul within isn't submerged."

With an explosive sound the plug ejected, sticking out of the back of EVA 01. LCL sprayed out in four directions as it was vented to prevent Shinji from being crushed. As Shinji was now partially angelic himself, the change in pressure didn't hurt him.

Arael flew to the plug as it opened and picked Shinji up.

"Sorry Commander, this time you don't get your way. If I were you, I wouldn't bother pursuing us… assuming you could even find us now." With that, she blinked out of existence with him.

Gendo's fists came down hard on his desk. He lost her, and now that she is the last angel, all she had to do was stay hidden and no one could enact Third Impact. His greed for knowledge had gotten the better of him. A glance at his computer told him that Misato and Rei both disappeared as well.

"So," Tashima began as Gendo's head raised up. "Shall I begin tracking her down?"

"She teleported," Gendo replied dryly. "How are you going to find her?"

"I have my ways," he replied. "I will find her. What are you orders?"

Gendo took all of two seconds to answer.

"Eliminate her."

* * *

**Elsewhere**

* * *

The Wheel of Prophecy stood with 14 lit names now… 14 dead angels and one yet lived.

"Arael," Keel said aloud. "We will find you… and we will end you. This isn't over yet…."

* * *

_He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him;  
He has broken his covenant.  
__The words__ of his mouth were smoother than butter,  
But war __was__ in his heart;  
His words were softer than oil,  
Yet they __were__drawn swords._

Cast your burden on the LORD,  
And He shall sustain you;  
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

But You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction;  
Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days;  
But I will trust in You.

_-Psalm 55_

* * *

**End of Chapter VII**

* * *

**A/N:** For some reason, Psalm 55 stuck out in my mind. Now I have to tell you, I'm not a religious person at all. I'm not atheist either. I consider myself Unitarian Universalist in a sense. There is something pulling the strings in the universe, and we can never truly know what it is or even fathom its existence, though I think there is a bit of truth out there in every mythology. But that doesn't mean I can't find certain biblical passages particularly moving… despite the inconsistencies inherent in it. But I digress.

**Review Replies**

**Belthasar:** It is conceivable that they've been working on something like this ahead of schedule even before they knew they would even need it. NERV uses A-10 Neural Clips to improve mental command transfers. The same technology can be easily reversed to block neural transmission and effectively make individuals invisible to psychic aligned entities. It wouldn't have taken very long at all to militarize it.

**Gunman:** Obviously, poor Misato-san ended up in over her head, especially with Ritsuko gone off the deep end in a completely different way than she did in the anime.

**NHunter:** You're quite welcome! Though I have to admit, it isn't an easy one to write.

Thanks again to everyone who read and everyone who reviewed this crack-fic of mine. Speaking of Crack-Fics, I think it's about time Adrift got an update….


	8. Broken Pieces, Part I

**A/N:** A bit of a warning… if you think I was driving into crack-fic territory before, then fasten your seat belt, cause I just hit the NOS.

* * *

**VIII: Broken Pieces, Part I**

* * *

**Somewhere in Germany**

* * *

Keel stood before the culmination of his madness… much like the Rei-quarium in NERV, Keel had his own for another. A loud set of tones from his left told him the process was almost completed. A cylinder of metal lowered before him with tubes and wires connected above, spiraling upward to some unseen machina. The slow motion of the tube rather reminded Keel of a funeral procession. In a way this was close, as the occupant would have already been dead for some time. If the process worked as well as Keel hoped, he'd have the perfect weapon in which to complete the final stage of the plan.

The cylinder opened and a white haired boy fell to the floor with a dull thud. Twitching ever so slightly and half curled, the boy slowly started coming alive. Keel kneeled down and inspected the boy for any flaws as he attempted to awaken. Quickly the boy recovered from his rebirth and slowly began to sit up.

"Keel," he said dispassionately as he sat there with an arm draped over one knee. "I see I've been pulled back somehow."

"Indeed Tabris you have," Keel replied preferring to use his angelic name rather than his given Lilim name. He looked at his PDA which showed the artifact in his office. Tabris's name stayed lit despite his resurrection. "And I see my experiment proved successful."

"I was dead," Tabris noted. "My part of the seal is broken. But why have you brought me back?"

"Ikari failed," he replied immediately. "I need you to find the fifteenth."

"I see," Tabris replied. "So my life is contingent upon my cooperation then."

"You think you are being coerced?"

"Keel," he said with a sad smile. "I can sense the explosive implanted into my body. I know what your plan for me is when I am finished. You still wish to begin the Red Earth Ceremony."

Keel looked at him dispassionately as he spoke.

"My brothers and sisters failed. The time of the Angels is over… I fear my sister will prolong the inevitable as long as she can so of course… I'll help you. I only wish it could be some other way."

"The events set in motion can not be stopped now," Keel replied as Tabris finally began to stand. "I will give you time to adjust to being alive once more, then you will concentrate all of your efforts on finding the last of the Angels and destroying her."

To signal the finality of his desire, Keel turned and left without another word.

"So," Tabris whispered softly. "He brought me back… but my soul is already gone…" His face twisted into a wicked smile. "I can not enact Third Impact any longer, but now I have no desire to. Humanity must still learn its place however… and one way or another I will usher in a new era… only this time, it is I who will hold the reigns of power over the world. Oh Keel Lorenz…. If only you knew how liberating it is to not have a soul…."

The light echoing chuckle behind him seemed to intensify at that notation. Beyond the dark glass were the System Kawrou Dummy Plugs… his soulless clones in the well. As Tabris turned to them they stopped randomly giggling and laughing and simply stared at him as if he disserved their undivided attention.

"Sorry Keel," he whispered. At once, all of his brothers in the well spoke in one voice.

"But you can't control us any longer."

* * *

**Beyond Reality**

* * *

It has been five days since Arael's dramatic escape from Terminal Dogma, and she still felt like she never left. Shinji has been a non-stop beacon of light in her life and a support she could never again be without. But even after this time has past, the scars were still fresh. Of course as an Angel, her physical scars were long gone… but as a Nephilim, the mental and emotional scars are not likely to heal in a hundred lifetimes.

She took in the surreal landscape she floated over. It was as if a huge temple had its walls mostly knocked down and its ceiling removed… then displaced into mid air surrounded by clouds of pure white and suspended in constant dawn. Such was the scenery of the place Arael knew as "The Last Sanctuary".

Below her, she saw Shinji by Misato's bedside. While the floor was stone tile, the beds were what Shinji was used to, because Arael summoned them. Misato's missing hair was growing in now and most of her injuries including the missing patches of skin were healing over. She woke up a few times only to moan in pain and weep at her own mental injuries handed to her by her former best friend turned mad scientist.

Arael frowned at the implications of that… Misato was full of life and light. Though her soul held a dark burden, she shouldered it well and nothing it seemed would deter her from doing her job and getting revenge or having a good time. She was the kind of person who pushed the envelope whenever she could, be it in job performance, her own drinking, or just in halving a good time. It was as if she abhorred borders, boundaries and limitations. To see her like this, broken and lost, was truly distressing.

Shinji, of course, was even more affected by it. He was the most used to Misato's apparent lack of inhibitions, and although the teasing was incessant at some points, he loved her like the mother he had lost. It upset him to no end to see her like this, and when he thought about those responsible, his mind was filled with rage.

In the past five days his eyes had been shifting ever so slowly but surely towards crimson. Now they were almost fully crimson. The left over cobalt in them gave them an almost purplish look. As of late, his hair had also began to lighten, looking a very dark grey now but soon, he knew it would be white… white like Arael's hair. He had wondered if he would change his mind about not caring if he was transforming further down the road. Now he knew for certain that he didn't care at all. His powers he could feel have been growing more and more. While he may never get to Arael's level of power, he may reach a level close to it. It made him feel stronger and strengthened his resolve.

Come hell or high water, Ikari Gendo must die. He didn't even refer to him as "father" anymore. In his mind, he stopped being his father a very long time ago. Now he was simply another evil man who needed to be removed for the good of the world.

Arael's gaze turned towards the fountain area of the sanctuary. Sitting on the lip of the fountain staring into the pure water was Ayanami Rei. One hand lazily swished though the cool water. She was quite obviously lost in her thoughts.

Rei had now been without the medicine that was supposed to keep her alive for five days. She now knew with absolute certainty that the reason she was taking the pills was utter bullshit. Ever since she missed a dose, she started to notice things she never did before. Her vision seemed more vibrant, her sense of touch far more sensitive, and her emotions were starting to rise to the surface like oil in water. The feel of the water was even more exquisite then her best days in the NERV swimming pool, and this was just her hand. She determined that she would soon disrobe and wade into the water to feel it over every inch of her body, because to her, it would now feel as if it were the first time.

The drugs had done nothing but stunt her senses, submerge her emotions and rob her of everything that it was to be human. It made her passive, controllable, introverted and most importantly, it made her a living doll. She was the very thing Asuka once accused her of being, and Gendo wanted her that way so she could fulfill her purpose.

Of course the worst news of it was a secret she would try to keep to herself forever, though the memory of it was forever burned into her heart. As she thought of it, a tear threatened to break from her eye on a mad dash down her cheek, but she fought with every ounce of her being to make sure no one saw it, though she suspected Arael might have already known considering her Psychic nature…

… Gendo did take advantage of the fact that Rei was completely passive on more than one occasion. She remembered it well; he would come in the cover of night. Section-2 Agents would wait outside the door to give them privacy. He would arrive at 11pm and leave by 3am. This went on at least twice a week ever since she turned 13... the new legal age of consent set in place over all of the surviving prefectures of Japan after Second Impact.

Rei had no doubt that if Shinji knew about what his so-called father had done to her, it would take more power than she had to stop him from trying to get to Gendo now. Shinji had all but publicly declared that Rei was his sister, and that meant he felt close enough to her that if he knew she was being raped by Gendo twice a week for the past year and a half, his rage would be beyond control… and in his new state of being, that was extremely dangerous.

Arael knew much about what Rei went though but not because she scanned Rei, but because Rei was having a hard time keeping those thoughts to herself and not broadcasting them all over the sanctuary. Without the drugs to keep her emotions in check, it was only a matter of time before she lost complete control, and needed a shoulder to cry on. Arael could relate there… her first week of existence on Earth had her falling from the sky, learning emotions the hard way, finding true love, aiding in the murder of one of her siblings and finally nearly being dissected by Ritsuko… not to mention her separation anxiety and multiple personality episode.

All in all, the last two weeks were hell for her… and the good didn't do anything to outweigh the bad…

The second week consisted of more experiments, killing her dark half, aiding in the murder of the last of her brethren and teleporting the lot of her friends to a place that humanity had not visited in many thousands of years….

The Last Sanctuary….

It is an artificial construct, created by the Angels in a time when they shared the planet with the Lilum. It is a place that was once neutral ground, where Angel and Lilum could converse and learn from each other freely. When humanity and the Angels finally came to blows, they left this place and never came back. Humanity lost the knowledge to it over time, but the Angels knew it still existed. It served as a stop over before reaching Earth during the war, a staging ground. Of course, this went against the spirit of its original purpose. This sanctum was never meant to be a rallying point or a beachhead or have anything to do with an Angel / Lilum war.

Such was the determination of the Angels. Tabris spoke of honor, but how many of the angels truly fought honorably? Arael could probably count them on one hand, and this blatant lack of honor only worsened as the war continued. Bardiel was a prime example of that, forcing a sadistic choice on those chosen to defend Earth.

But did it matter anymore? All of the angels were now dead… all except her and Lilith. She alone was now the key to Third Impact… well maybe not her alone. She suspected that Rei had a part to play in the Red Earth Ceremony but she couldn't guess as to what that entailed. Though she knew a lot about the White Earth Ceremony, knowledge of the other was not with her. She knew the basics, the forced joining of Adam to Lilith though a medium of some form but….

Arael floated down to Shinji at Misato's bedside, refusing to ponder this any further for the time being. Misato had just passed out again allowing Shinji to move away for a time. He took Arael into his arms and kissed her before she realized what he was doing. Arael loved the fact that he felt freer to express his emotions, even if they still had yet to become one. Her fluffy white wings closed around them keeping them within a blanket of soothing warmth. They enjoyed each other's touch for a time beneath her feathers before she finally spoke.

"That was nice," she whispered.

"I'm glad you enjoyed that… I love you Arael, and I am so happy we can be together like this at last."

Arael smiled. "I love you too Shinji-kun, and I wish we can stay like this."

"Can't we?" He asked. "Who will find us here?"

Arael's smile faded as she remembered her last dream. In it she saw Tabris's resurrection and Keel's involvement therein. She really didn't want to bring this up to Shinji but he needed to know.

"Tabris," she replied. "He either has already been, or soon will be, resurrected by Keel." Her wings opened revealing that Rei was now close by. She was still clothed though and her right arm was completely wet from the fountain.

"How is that possible?" Shinji asked with dismay creeping into his voice. "I crushed him."

"The same way the Commander was able to resurrect me," Rei replied. She opened that part of her mind to Shinji and he saw it… the Rei-quarium. "You didn't think he wouldn't make spares?"

"Ah yes," Shinji replied, recalling his battle with Armisael and Bardiel, "the dummy plug… System Rei I think I remember seeing."

"Each dummy plug is one of my clones. The holding tank I showed you is where he kept the spares." His mind heard the giggling of the clones. "I had died long ago at the hands of Naoko Akagi, Ritsuko's mother. Gendo told me to call her an 'Old Hag'. I did, and she killed me for it, then killed herself. After that, he brought me back and my soul jumped into the clone."

"So basically what you are saying is you are actually Rei 2?" Shinji asked sadly. The fact that his father violated her genes was already established, the fact that he made spares was just horrible, but he couldn't focus on that now… he had to keep a level head.

"That would be a correct assumption," she replied. "My sisters in the well are just soulless shells."

"So if the bastard has that technology at his hands, then SEELE has it too."

"Yes, but there is a slight hitch," Arael replied. "Rei's soul is derived from the angel Lilith who is the mother of all Lilum. Her soul is transient by nature allowing the soul to jump to new body upon death. The Lilum refer to this as reincarnation. Adam and the souls of the angels are not transient at all. When they die, their souls return to the All-Father but only though him can they achieve rebirth. After the so-called contact experiment in Antarctica, Adam lost much of his form and energy and can not resurrect the angels currently. It'll take him another 985 years at least to regain that power, so all the souls have returned to him and become part of him again, and thusly can't be resurrected."

"Hold on," Shinji cut in. "Wouldn't that trigger the impact though?"

"No," Arael replied. "A dead soul, one that has lived and no longer does, can't do it. The Angel soul must still be in a live body in order to initiate the reaction needed to instigate impact."

"So that means…" Shinji's eyes widened at the implication of this. "Keel brought or will soon bring Tabris back, without a soul."

"Yes," Arael replied. "And a soulless creature is something truly evil. There is nothing to guide it morally. Thoughts and understanding of right and wrong are useless if the individual has no driving spirit to guide them to do the right thing. An empty shell of an individual is effectively one that never has to look in the mirror and truly see what they have become. There is no telling what he can and likely will do. Worse yet, the power is still within his genes. Despite not having a soul, his genetic power will still allow him to create what you call an AT Field, and his memories would still be intact."

"Meaning he would hate us for killing him," Shinji continued, "and as an Angel, he knows where this place is."

Arael looked down in sadness.

"I knew it was too good to last," Shinji said darkly. "How much time do we have?"

"Not much," she replied, "if any."

"Damn."

"Which leaves us with a major problem…"

"Misato-san," Shinji replied without missing a beat.

"You, me and Rei are all Nephilim. She is still human and thus vulnerable and a liability."

"Let me talk to her," he replied. "I think she'd want to be brought across."

"It could be dangerous in her state."

"She's dead either way," Shinji said sourly. "At this rate she wouldn't survive the trip without help, not sure how she would take it though. She's always hated the Angels ever since Second Impact. I doubt she'd like the idea of becoming half-angel… but maybe she'll do it just so she has the strength to get revenge on that bastard and his bottle-blonde-bitch of a mad scientist concubine."

"Cruel," Rei commented, "but good word use."

"Very well," Arael conceded, "but in the meantime, we need to discuss what we are going to do to stop SEELE and the Commander from fulfilling their desires."

"What can we do?" Shinji replied. "Just as soon as we rear our heads, we're gonna have crosshairs on them. Seems like everyone and their mother-in-law's second cousin twice removed wants us dead."

"There is only one way to end the threat of Third Impact once and for all," Arael replied, "and as much as I hate to say it, I'm willing to go through with it anyway… we must destroy Adam once and for all."

Silence reigned for nearly 15 seconds before Shinji spoke up.

"And just how are we going to do that?" Shinji replied. "They shoved the Lance of Longinus into him and that didn't kill him."

"Actually, right now he's quite vulnerable, if we can find him. The tricky part however is that I can't physically touch him at all, otherwise the White Earth Ceremony would begin and there would be nothing to stop it. My will is not stronger than Adam's. As Nephilim you are both safe."

"But aren't you a Nephilim too now? If Nephilim can't enact Third Impact, how are you still a risk?"

"You were human originally, I was originally an Angel that adopted Nephilim form… my essence is still angel and I can still trigger the impact as a result."

"I was designed as a bridge," Rei responded, "but as that bridge I can enact third impact being in essence a clone of Lillith. Despite the fact that I already died once, my transient soul can still trigger the impact."

"The Red Earth Ceremony," Arael replied, "which means, that it is up to you and potentially Misato to destroy Adam."

"So yet again I have to save the world," Shinji replied sourly. "Go figure."

"You should be used to it by now," Arael replied playfully.

Shinji just smiled. "This time at least, I know it will be for the right reasons."

"For now, we need to avoid Tabris. There is no way I'd risk sending you in to destroy Adam without being at your full potential. If Misato decides to become Nephilim I assume you'd want to wait for her as well."

"Yeah, I could use the back up."

"Very well. When Misato wakes up we'll pose the question. If she says yes, I'll implant the seed within her. Doing so will change her faster than the small infusion from me that changed you. With any luck, both you and her will be ready at the same time."

"Sounds like a plan," Shinji replied. "How am I supposed to destroy Adam?"

"He's vulnerable but you'll need to cancel his AT Field as normal. It'll likely take both you and Misato to do it, assuming she agrees. We need to find out where Adam even is first. If he's been subjugated, he must be within Terminal Dogma somewhere."

"He isn't," Rei replied. "After Second Impact, he was reduced to an embryonic form. That embryo has been grafted into the Commander's right hand."

"Oh Gods!" Arael exclaimed. "I was so close to him on so many occasions… I never knew he had Adam on him! Do you realize over the course of the experiments on me how close we were to executing the White Earth Ceremony? No wonder he never came close enough to touch me… he knew what would happen if he did!"

"Bastard," Shinji muttered under his breath as he turned away. The thoughts of what Arael had been though under Ritusko's 'care' continued to upset him.

"Shinji," Arael whispered, forcing him to turn around. She placed her hands on his chest and leaned her head between them. Shinji's eyes closed as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'll get him back for what he did to you Ara-chan, I swear it."

"I know," she whispered back, holding her tears in check. "But please be careful when the time comes."

* * *

**Roma, Catacombs of San Callisto**

* * *

Of all the places one can search for information on Christian Mythologies, a catacomb was the last place Lieutenant Kichi thought they'd look for it. Of course, he was fiercely loyal to Tashima above anyone else, so he tended to block out what even the highest tiers of NERV had to say to him in favor of listening to Noboru-sama… and Noboru-sama was always right.

The darkness of the catacomb was matched only by the dry and musty odor of a long forgotten tomb, and the effect on morale for the squad was as expected….

"This sucks," came the voice of one of the operatives behind him. Unlike their work in Tokyo-3, here in Rome they were all wearing the spec-ops outfits that Tashima was famous for.

"Cut the chatter Tsugai," Tashima scolded in a low voice. "These catacombs may be abandoned, but that doesn't mean they're disserted.

Of course he was right, but as far as Kichi knew, the only people who would hole up down here were vagrants or criminals, both of which preferred to stay out of the limelight. If they saw a spec-ops team in full tac-gear along with automatic weapons, they'd probably make sure to stay out of the way. Certainly they'd be no threat to them. So if Noboru-sama was worried about being seen, then by default, there must be something potentially more formidable down here. Again, Kichi wasn't about to question.

They continued to move forward. The goggles each member was equipped with looked like standard safety glasses but their specialized surface was designed to provide full night vision to every member of the team without restricting their view. In the darkness, Kichi grimly noted the dead bodies lying upon shelves with their hands cross over the chests. This place gave him the willies too, but he had more self control than that.

"Keep sharp," he whispered over subvocal communications. "I got a bad feeling about this."

"Good instincts Lieutenant," Tashima replied. "We're close. I knew you were right for the job."

A moment later all hell broke loose. From ahead of the group the passage belched forth a wave of merciless lead that chipped the stone around them and even hit a few of the desiccated bodies sending out bursts of corpse dust. The unit immediately fell into whatever cover was available, despite the dreadful proximity to the long dead Christians.

"How many you catch?" Tashima asked his Lieutenant.

"About half a dozen," he began, "they have a Breda M30 on a bipod."

Tashima was impressed that Kichi managed to catch that much when the first wave of fire came out, but little surprises out of his protégé were expected now. He knew the former JSSDF Sergeant was more than the sum of his appearance, and he continued to prove it in every encounter.

Yelling in Italian erupted down the corridor and although Kichi didn't speak Italian, Tashima did. They were warning the group away or they would open fire again, saying something about a place not for blasphemers or some such nonsense.

"Kichi… the M32 please."

Kichi never bother to ask how Noboru-sama managed to get his hands on an American made grenade launcher but was more than happy to hold it for him. He tossed it over and with a smooth motion, Tashima took it up and fired three rounds in response to the ultimatum. After a short burst of Italian curses three explosions ripped down the hallway sending dust, body parts (some previously alive, others long since dead) and material in every direction.

Moments later, more gunfire came down the hallway from the Italian side, but the LMG was silenced, meaning they did grievous damage to the unit already. Tashima gave the order to move and the Section-2 team began to deftly shift from cover to cover position trading shots with the Italians. Kichi himself scored several kills in the first few minutes while Tashima took out more. The rest of the team held up their own by foiling an attempted ambush from behind.

Finally after nearly 10 minutes of fighting, and a few dozen dead Italians later, Tashima called it clear.

Kichi came upon one of the bodies of the men he killed. He was dressed in a spec ops uniform of some kind but he had a rosary around his neck. Using his knife he cut the rosary and saw it was also used as a dog tag. His neck had a tattoo of an intricate cross on it.

"Vatican Spec-Ops?" Kichi asked.

"Looks that way," Tashima confirmed. "The church has done nothing but get in the way of NERV ever since Second Impact. They claimed it was the beginning of the end times and that we shouldn't interfere with the angels. Stupid bastards. If only they knew half of what we knew about the so-called angels, they'd be at our side, not against us."

"Still seems wrong somehow," Kichi replied sadly looking down at the dead warrior-priest. Tashima put a hand on his colleagues shoulder.

"These guys were from the Order of Light, one of the highest ranking spec-ops groups the Vatican has at their disposal. Trust me, church or no, they would kill us without hesitation. Forget what the church tells you about being all about peace. They know the benefits of superior firepower just as well as we do. Funny to see them using such outdated machine guns though."

Kichi watched as Tashima entered the last chamber which was less of a catacomb and more of a library. The door had been blasted open already and the inside, though now with tracked dust from the catacombs was kept clean and at a cool temperature. Kichi noted the air was very dry as well, probably to inhibit mold growth on the scrolls and books.

"A hidden archive?" Kichi asked, though the question was mostly rhetorical. "I have to admit, this is the last place I would have looked for something like this. How did you even know it was here?"

"Trade secret," Tashima replied. "If you're a good little boy, I'll teach you someday."

Kichi smirked at the remark and looked around. "There must be a thousand books here. How are we going to find what we need."

"I already know what I'm looking for." Pushing a shelf on tracks aside, he found a locked box covered in angelic symbols and Christian art. Using the butt of his rifle he destroyed the ancient lock and opened it, finding a book far larger than any has a right to be inside.

Kichi couldn't believe it was so big. Measuring nearly thirty inches from top to bottom, eighteen inches from side to side and over six inches deep, it was an imposing manual.

"A hand," Tashima said as Kichi approached, and with a bit of effort, both of them managed to move the giant book to one of the larger tables.

"We're taking this with us?" Kichi asked.

"We'll we're certainly not leaving it behind. This is quite a find."

"What is it?"

"A bound manuscript… a collection written works from the apostles themselves. According to myth, it is their very words and accounts during the New Testament. In reality, who can say? This book is ancient, dating back to the First Age, and I can tell you that a lot of the Christian faith is utter bullshit. The words are good lessons and have meaning, but the historical accuracy is less than stellar."

"So the information you need to find where the angel disappeared to is in this book?"

"Maybe, it's my best bet right now."

Kichi nodded. "Alright then."

Tashima ordered two of the men to move the book and the rest of the team took up protective positions around them. As they made there way out, Kichi had a feeling they weren't out of the woods yet…

… he was right.

* * *

**NERV**

* * *

The sounds of screaming emanated from the labs in the lowest parts of NERV's hidden facilities. Inside the lab an explosion could he heard. Ritsuko still hiding behind the divide had little trouble keeping her lunch down despite the smell of blood and the sight of all the gore around her. As the door to the lab opened, she moved from behind the divide trying not to step in anything that would leave a lasting stain.

"Report," came Gendo's voice as he entered the room and stopped short of stepping in a puddle of gore with a single eye in the blood staring at him. It was a bit disconcerting but Gendo had a far stronger constitution than most, after all, the madman does have the embryo of an angel grafted to his hand.

"Well, as you can see," Ritsuko began, "my first attempts have been failures. The DNA is acting violently with human hosts. This shouldn't be happening, but it is somehow."

"Even though human and angel DNA are nearly identical in most respects?"

"Despite that Commander, yes… this is the first one that reacted so violently."

"What of the others?"

Ritsuko carefully made her way across the bloodstained room to another lab. Inside there were several dead bodies. The faces on them were frozen in a rictus of fury.

"Completely beyond control; they turned into vile raging beasts and had to be put down. There was no way to stabilize them."

Gendo's frown intensified slightly. "Unacceptable. For this plan to succeed, we need them viable and controllable. They have to be able to keep their facilities about them or Arael will take advantage of their nature and easily destroy them."

"I know. I am getting closer. As soon as I can figure out why this one died so violently, I'll be another step closer to creating viable super-soldiers to take her out. It's a pity we can't study her further. I'd like to know how she managed to overpower the control device."

"Irrelevant," Gendo relied quickly. "Once this is all said and done, we're well on our way to becoming gods."

* * *

**Last Sanctuary**

* * *

At long last, Misato began to fully wake up. She sat up, pulling the sheet up with her as she realized she was not wearing any clothing.

"Misato-san?" Shinji's voice came as she sat up.

"Shinji-kun," her weak voice replied. "What have you done to yourself?" Her hand gently rose up to his grayed hair, pushing it over his ear.

"I almost died at the hands of the JSSDF, Arael used some of her essence to save my life." At the mention of him almost dying her eyes widen in shock. She held him to her as a mother would her child after seeing him returned from a long parting. Shinji just basked in the motherly affection as Misato began to sob softly.

"I can't believe she turned on me like that…"

Shinji could feel for her. Having a good friend stab her in the back though, he'd never experienced anything like that before… unless you consider what his father had done to him, in a way that's worse and at the same time, not the same thing.

"Then the experiments…" she whispered, and instantly Shinji's mind connected with hers, unbidden. Flashes of Ritsuko cutting into her with a knife and the pain felt during the procedure were reminiscent of what he got from Arael when he held her after being rescued. The tubes inserted into her body to draw out fluid for study, the binds, the shocks, it was all too much for him to take.

He held her tighter. "I'll kill her."

"No!" Misato said sharply pulling him from the embrace and holding him by the shoulders instead. "I know you want to for what she did to Arael, but your grudge lies with your father. She was following orders like the good little soldier, but it was my trust she betrayed. She's mine."

The intensity with which the last two words were said sent chills up Shinji's spine. She was right of course, but he really wanted to kill the bottle-blonde himself. He would desist for her sake though, happy with the fact that he gets to kill his father and Adam.

"Misato," he whispered bringing his hands up to hers and causing her face to soften. "I don't know how you will take this but… if you really want to kill her, you have to become like the rest of us."

"Half-angel?" Misato whispered as if the word angel has become a tenfold curse. "I… I don't know if I can do that."

"Well first things first. You should let my shoulders go and replace the sheet; you're a bit indecent at the moment."

Misato blinked and her eyes drifted down dumbly before she finally squeaked and let Shinji go, grabbing for the sheet and pulling it up. Her face turned slightly red and she giggled sheepishly.

"Did you at least enjoy the show?" She teased.

To her surprise he blushed slightly but replied back, "oh yes, but I like my girlfriend's better. More than a mouthful is a bit of a waste in my opinion."

Arael blushed and hid behind her wings, Misato gasped at what she just heard her ward say, and Rei smiled slightly understanding the humor behind his words. A moment later Misato started laughing uncontrollably.

"I can't believe you just said that!" she got out between laughs. "Oh goodness Shinji-kun, you've grown up at last."

"Yeah," he said sheepishly, "I guess I have."

"So," she said as she calmed down. "I guess this is the moment of truth."

Shinji nodded.

"Tough decision," she mused. "Lose my humanity and become half angel… or keep it and be unable to help save the world."

"I'll be honest Misato-san," Shinji began. "I don't think I can do it without you."

Misato sighed and started to become nervous. She noted Arael was no longer hiding behind her wings and started approaching.

"I have no real choice then," she mused sadly. "I have to give up my humanity and become part angel."

"If it makes you feel any better," Arael began, "I too am sorry it has to be this way. You're going to be more than human, far stronger, faster, smarter. While Shinji is becoming more like me, I'm unsure how the seed will affect you. Theoretically, you'll be the same as us, but…."

"You can't predict the final outcome. Shinji may still be different in the end."

Arael nodded to her.

Misato thought back to the beginning… standing in the life pod watching Adam's wrath from afar and knowing her father was dead… her silence for so long… finding Ritsuko again… Kaji… becoming a soldier against the creatures that killed her father… Shinji… Rei… Asuka… Arael….

She closed her eyes as these thoughts flooded her mind. A tear slipped from her eye as she knew that she had no options now. She had to sacrifice her humanity so that humanity can survive.

"Do it," she whispered. "Do it before I change my mind."

Arael held her right hand out, in the palm a seed of energy began to form.

"Shinji, please look away." Reluctantly, he complied.

Misato let the sheet drop from her chest again as Arael's left hand took a hold of her right shoulder.

"Fair warning, this is going to feel… strange."

Misato mused how this very scene taken out of context might be interpreted as something rather naughty. Such a thought lowered her defenses long enough for Arael to begin.

She gasped as Arael's right hand pushed past her AT Field and phased into her flesh. Her left hand came up to grasp Arael by the hip as her head fell forward and her breathing became erratic. Arael's hand came into contact with Misato's heart and the seed was implanted. The sudden rush of energy draining from Arael, caused her to gasp as if in ecstasy. It was like giving birth though a joining of souls. It was the closest Misato felt to another person before and she felt a bit guilty at the same time because it was her ward's girlfriend she was feeling this with.

A moment later Arael retracted her hand as Misato fell back into the bed. A glow covered her as Arael replaced the sheet.

Shinji turned back now that the process was over. "How soon?"

"She'll be fully transformed when she awakens," Arael said as the heat in her face began to dissipate. A moment later, she fell back into Shinji's arms.

"You need to rest," Shinji said as Arael's wings disappeared in a burst of light and a few scattered feathers.

"No arguments here," she said in a low voice as Shinji took her up in his arms and took her to their shared bed.

Rei watched impassively, wondering if someday, someone will love her the same way that they loved each other. Her hand moved up to her heart, feeling it beating harder and she watched the two settle into the bed.

"Will anyone ever love me?" she whispered to herself.

* * *

**End of Chapter VIII**

* * *

_An angel strays upon my door, so frail and lost within_

_To weep upon her days of yore, in decadence come in_

_Her stain and tears upon my floor, the sorrow that she brings_

_Devotion of a life outworn, in decadence come in_

* * *

**A/N:** I own nothing

Yeah, it's been a bit, sorry for such a long delay but my life continues to interfere with my pastimes.

Seems like I can't not write a crack-fic even if I wanted too. Oh well, hope everyone enjoys the insanity.

**Neferius:** True, I can be cruel, but I wanted this part to be dark… it had to be. With Tabris resurrected, who's to say what will happen here. And yeah, poor Maya, we haven't seen the aftermath of that yet. I wanted to touch on it in this chapter but so much is happening right now, I just didn't have room for it all, which is why this chapter has to be in multiple parts. Hope you enjoy it.

**The Canadian Empire:** With any luck you won't have to wait too long for that wish to be granted.

**The Twilit Road to Nightfall:** Rei will have her own part to play in the coming chapters.

**Gunman:** And it has so much deeper to go…. Arael knew she would have gone completely and utterly mad has the voice kept up its taunting and pushing. She had finally had enough of it and was willing to cause herself great physical pain in order to make it end.

Write for TNT huh? I'll take that as a compliment.

**PerspexChameleon:** Thanks! It means a lot that my work is appreciated. One day, I hope to write for real, but until that day comes, I'll let my overactive imagination explode on paper.

Thanks to everyone who read and / or reviewed. Hope to see you soon.


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